


Tyranny of the Heart

by aminal24



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Arranged Marriage, F/M, Forbidden Love, Love Triangles, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:07:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 53,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23572834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aminal24/pseuds/aminal24
Summary: She looked at her son with loving brown eyes, that once lit up at the sound of danger, but now were only filled with love for her son and secrets of the past. “My son, I have told you many stories. Some are true and some are only legends. Some stories you have begged me to tell over and over. But this is one story I know you haven’t heard before. It’s a story that is all true. Because this story, is my story.”[takes place during Prince Caspian][kind of AU]
Relationships: Caspian/Susan Pevensie, Peter Pevensie/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story follows the film version of Prince Caspian. I acknowledge that you may have the opinion that the book was better or not, but this story just fit better with the film's story arc.

_The boy peered into his mother’s room. It wasn’t the cleanest of rooms. His mother loved books and writings of all sorts, which showed in the endless piles of papers and books stacked precariously on top of each other, threatening to topple over and crush her in her feeble state. A couple of shelves were overflowing with jars and pots of plants, the kind she used in her medicine making. Honestly, it looked more like a library and garden pushed into a small room than a bedroom. In order to get to her bed, she would have to carefully scoot around the piles of books and papers, daring them to fall._

_His eyes landed on the desk, where his mother sat, writing in a book. Her long silver hair was pushed to one side in a braid, except for a stray silver strand that reached for the page she scribbled on. Her feeble and wrinkled hands held the pen and paper lightly as if they were to break if she applied too much pressure. She was growing old, his mother. It was very clear in the way she moved about and hummed to herself at all hours of the day. And he was reminded of this every time he laid eyes on her._

_“_ _Mother?” He called, gently knocking on the door._

_Her head lifted at the sound, her brown eyes hidden behind spectacles, but lit up as they fell on her son. As she grew old, so did he. He was nearly an adult now and a handsome one at that, with his hazel eyes and his thick head of long brown hair. Not to mention, his chiseled facial features that reminded her that he was no longer that little boy that she once knew. She smiled as much as her wrinkled, delicate face allowed. “My son.” She greeted. “You look more and more like your father everyday.”_

_He blushed a little. “So you tell me.” He replied. His mother told him that a lot, but he never understood why. He didn’t think he looked anything like his father. But she insisted on it, so he let her tell him that. After all, her eyesight isn't what it used to be. “What are you writing?” He asked, entering the room, narrowly missing a pot filled with dirt._

_“_ _Stories, my boy. I am trying to recount some of the memories of my life, as they are disappearing fast.” She dipped her pen in the ink and continued to write._

_“_ _Your memory is as good as ever, Mother. You needn't worry” He assured her._

_She let out a small chuckle. “I am afraid that my youth is no longer present. Instead, I am here trapped in this old and feeble body.”_

_It was the boy’s turn to chuckle. “I hardly think you are feeble.” He told her thinking back to all the times she would yell at him to sit up straight or to stop playing in the dirt. Or even back when he bore witness to her amazing skills with the sword that lived up the legends he had been told._

_She put the pen down and faced her son, a glint sparkling in her eye as she spoke. “When I was your age, son, I was the best swordsman Telmar had ever seen. And I continued to be so until my age caught up with me.”_

_“_ _But you can still yell at me and Father all the time.” He teased._

_“_ _That is something that I will never be too old to do.” She smiled endearingly. “Someone has to make sure you both behave.”_

_He laughed, a sound that made his mother happier beyond reason. “So, why did you call me in here today?” He asked. “Have I misbehaved?”_

_She gestured for him to sit in one of the few chairs without papers or plants on it. “My son, the day is fast approaching when you will be King, as you already know.” He nodded. “I have every reason to believe that you will be a great ruler and your father does, too.” She paused, stroking his hand._

_“_ _Is that all you wished to tell me?” He asked. “You and Father tell me that at every opportunity.”_

_His mother settled in her chair and looked off to the distance, smiling. “Do you remember those stories I used to tell you?”_

_“_ _Of course, Mother.” He said, as he thought back to her many stories. As a child, he had always treasured them and thought of them as the highlight of his childhood. He would daydream about them often, and pretend he was there, fighting off the bad men with his toy sword the royal blacksmith had given him. To this day, he could recount all of her stories that she had told him word for word._

_“_ _You remember the history of the wonderful land of Narnia, all of its riches, epic battles, and amazing creatures of all shapes and sizes. You know of the great leaders of its past, including the Kings and Queens of Old, as they are so affectionately called. Queen Lucy the Valiant, known for her kind heart and gentility. King Edmund the Just, most famous for his betrayal of his siblings but equally known for his wit and constant search for justice. Queen Susan the Gentle, with her infamous sharp wit and skill with her bow and arrow. And then there was King Peter the Magnificent, arguably the greatest ruler in Narnian history. He lead his people with a fire in his heart, but was approachable and always put the needs and wants of his people before his own. In addition to this, you also know Caspian’s story. The story of how a boy became a man and a king, and united a divided and feuding world.”_

_The boy nodded and touched his mother’s hand gently. “Yes, Mother. I remember all of those stories. Why are you telling me all of this?”_

_His mother eyed her son’s hand that rested on hers for a minute before encasing it in between her own once again. “I have one more story to share with you, my son. One that I have wanted to tell you for a long time, but have been saving it for when you were ready. Do you want to hear it?”_

_The boy frowned in thought. “I do want to hear it, but I am not sure what you mean by ‘ready’.”_

_She looked at her son with loving brown eyes, that once lit up at the sound of danger, but now were only filled with love for her son and secrets of the past. “My son, I have told you many stories. Some are true and some are only legends. Some stories you have begged me to tell over and over. But this is one story I know you haven’t heard before. It’s a story that is all true. Because this story, is my story.”_


	2. Chapter 1

I burst through the trees screaming. I had come to a clearing with the sound of hooves behind me. I desperately searched the clearing for any sort of hiding spot. Finally, my eyes rested on an old log laying on its side by the bushes.

I quickly ducked behind the log just as the horse came through the trees. I tried to quiet my breathing, but it was difficult with all of the running I had just done. I heard the rider of the horse dismount, his feet crunching the morning grass as he stepped. He was getting closer. I dared myself to shift around quietly and peer over the log. But when I did, I only saw the horse grazing. No rider in sight. Slightly confused, I stood up somewhat to see where he might have gone, but there was no trace of him.

Suddenly, a loud scream came from behind me, making me scream and trip over the log. I landed in a fresh pile of cold and wet mud. A laugh came from above me as I looked over mud-covered self. “Caspian!” I shouted angrily, sitting up.

Caspian was laughing like a mad man, clutching his side as he did. “Oh, you should have seen your face!” He gasped.

“Professor is going to kill me!” I said, trying to scrape as much mud off of my dress as possible. “You know how mad he was the last time I came home dirty.”

“Oh, come on, Aurina.” He breathed, finally calming down. “I was only having some fun.”

“I don’t think I can afford much more ‘fun’. The professor will be so mad.”

“Look, I’m sorry, alright?” He said seriously. “I did not mean for you to fall and get muddy. Although, it was very funny seeing the daughter of the Great Philipanol scream like a little girl.” He fell into another laughing fit.

“Caspian, I will kill you!” I said, clenching my fists and running towards him. He saw me and started running away still laughing.

That morning was like many mornings before it. At the time, we were both barely old enough to carry a sword. Caspian and I had practically grown up together since my mother died. When she died, my father was promoted to Head General of the Telmarine army and we moved to the castle, where I met Caspian.

At first, I was almost scared to play with him, for he was a prince, after all. But after I spotted him putting a pinecone on one of the officer’s seats at a dinner, I knew that we would be good friends.

Since his father was the King and my father was the General, we were left on our own for long periods of time, which usually meant that we would find some way to get in trouble. And we were mischievous little children. Always getting in trouble. Luckily, we had the Professor to help keep us educated and to make sure we behaved properly.

Professor Cornelius, or Professor, as we used to call him, was Caspian’s tutor since he was a small boy, but when I came to live in the castle, he became my tutor as well. We looked up to him, as he told us all of wonderful things the world had to offer. Stars, geography, mathematics, history, we could sit for hours listening to him. In secret, he would tell us the stories of old, about Narnia and its rich and fantastic history. It was the etiquette part of the lessons that were not as enjoyable. But being a future King and the daughter of the Head General, we had to practice how to behave like a lord and lady.

That day in particular, after I got changed out of my dirty clothes, I was late to our lessons with Professor. As I stumbled into his room breathless, he gave me a look, and Caspian had to try hard not to laugh. “It is not lady-like to arrive late to a lesson, Aurina. And it is very rude to breath heavily with your mouth open like that.” Professor said, raising a white eyebrow. Professor never got upset, he would merely give you a look. Caspian and I used to say that look could knock over the strongest of fortresses.

I straightened myself out and took a deep breath in. “I apologize, Professor.” I nodded, making my way to a chair, stumbling over the many piles of books in his room. Much like me, he enjoyed to collect written works of any sorts, but there was never enough room for it all, so they simply sat in stacks all over the room. It was really more of a library than a bedroom. I glared at Caspian as I sat. “I fell in some mud earlier and I had to change out of my dirty clothes.”

“You should be more careful, Aurina.” Caspian dared to say, holding back laughter.

After shooting him another glare, I forced a smile. “Believe me, Caspian. I will.”

“Children!” Professor clapped his hands to get our attention. “We are going to start our lesson today with etiquette.” Caspian and I both groaned loudly, which earned “the look” from Professor.

He then eyed me. “My lady Aurina, do you think that is how a lady should sit?” He gestured to me slouching in the chair with my feet tucked under my bottom.

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, being a lady was very droll. “Why do I have to sit a certain way?” I whined. Remember I was quite young at this time. “It is uncomfortable. Besides, Caspian does not have to sit the way I do.”

“That is because Caspian is a lord and you are a lady. Lords and ladies have different sets of rules adhere to.” Professor patiently explained, even though we have had this conversation before. “And ladies do not sit with their feet tucked underneath them.” After a frustrated huff, I straightened my back, put my feet on the floor and crossed my ankles. “There!” Professor praised. “Now you look like a royal.”

“Yeah, except for her fat face.” Caspian muttered under his breath. Professor did not hear that comment, but I did. And I proceeded to hit him in the shoulder.

“Aurina!” Professor gasped.

“He said I have a fat face! And you cannot say something like that without being hit.” I explained.

A chuckle sounded at the door. “She giving you trouble, Cornelius?” We all turned to see my father, Philipanol, leaning in the doorway.

“Every day is a battle, General.” Professor sighed with a smile.

I got up and ran to give my father a hug. “Father!” I squealed as he held me close.

“How is my little wildflower faring today?” He asked brightly.

“It was fine until Caspian pushed me into a mud puddle.” I replied bitterly.

“I did not push you!” Caspian protested.

My father laughed heartily. His laugh was something I could listen to all day. “Well, how about we teach you how to get back at him?” I gave him a perplexed look. “If it is alright with Professor Cornelius, I am going to teach you how to sword fight today.”

I squealed and jumped up and down. As a young girl, my favorite thing to do was to watch the soldiers train. Even Caspian, being the prince, had learned the basics of sword fighting before I did. Ever since I could remember, I begged my father to teach me how to use a sword, but he had always told me I wasn’t old enough. So, this news was very exciting. I turned to Professor and clasped my hands together to beg him. “Oh, please let me, Professor. Please! I promise I will do extra assignments to make up for me being gone.”

The Professor looked to my father and then back to me. “Alright.” He conceded. He knew how badly I wanted to learn how to use a sword.

My father was the best swordsman in Telmar, before me, anyway. He wasn’t promoted to the Head General of the Telmarine army because he was popular. I was, and still am, convinced that he could out sword a thousand men with his eyes closed. To learn from him was a big honor, and even at a young age, I understood this.

He began to teach me every day from that day on. He would show me how to defend myself, how to use daggers, how to anticipate your opponents’ next move, and all of the things I know how to do today. I was a fast learner and he was a gentle and patient instructor. He trained me to fight like any soldier in his army. My happiest memories as a child was exercising my sword skills with my father.

When I was good enough, he would set up duels with some of his soldiers. Not only for me to practice, but for them, too. Of course, with me being so young and a girl, the soldiers did not take me seriously at first, and almost laughed when they first stepped up to face me. But they soon learned that I was my father’s daughter and I was quite skilled with a sword.

Eventually, I dueled every soldier in the Telmarine Army and defeated every one of them. I always felt a great surge of pride whenever I defeated a soldier, but my father always reminded me that a swordsman was only as good as his humility.

Caspian became jealous of my ever-growing skills and asked my father to give him special lessons. Soon, Caspian became the _second_ -best swordsman in Telmar, next to me of course. The two of us would spend hours fighting and sparring, even chasing each other around in the castle, much to the disapproval of the Professor. We would dream up imaginary wars and talk often about what strategies would be best.

Everything in my life was perfect. Until Caspian’s father died. That was when everything changed.


	3. Chapter 2

The King had died during his sleep in the middle of the night. I remember that night, Caspian and I happened to be out with Professor on a camping trip. We had learned how to start a fire and hunt for food. That night Caspian’s father died, we were laying on our backs watching the stars, having Professor tell us about the different constellations and the Narnian legends that were associated with them. It was a peaceful and blissful night. 

When we returned that morning, we received the news that the King was dead. I have seen many deaths in my long life. Many of my loved ones have died. Some have died at my hand. But I can never explain what death does to a person. What it does to those it leaves behind.

I had lost my mother at a young age. I barely even remember her. She was a healer and passed on her remedies to me, which I still dabble with today. But she was dead. No matter what remedy I could conjure up or how many times I memorized her book of remedies, I could not bring her back. It was hard to not have a mother, but it was harder for my father to be without her. I remember he would sit by the window, sometimes speaking as though she was there with him. Death affects its victims in different ways.

For Caspian, the death of his father was almost too much for him. He was a young boy, so he did not fully understand. But it was as if he withdrew from the world. His body was there physically, but his true self was somewhere in the depths of his mind, trying to figure out how to function without his father. Caspian wasn't the same after his father died, and, as much as I tried, the Caspian that I knew and grew up with, didn't resurface until many, many years later.

The King’s brother, Lord Miraz, volunteered to take over the throne. But Caspian was the next closest heir. Of course, he was too young to become King at that time, so Telmar’s council, which included my father, became the leaders of Telmar. They would rule until Caspian came of age. Until then, my father volunteered to take Caspian in, promising to guide and groom him in his princely duties until his coronation day.

Unfortunately, my father’s duties as a council member and a general increased and I rarely saw him. He hardly ever had time to give me sword lessons or to even eat dinner with me. I became closer to Professor during that time, desperately wanting a father figure in my life. Caspian still grieved for his father, but we still remained friends. We hardly ever pulled pranks on the staff again.

As the years passed, my father began to grow ill in his increasing age. Using the knowledge of medicine and herbs my mother passed down to me, I did my best to take care of him. But the fact remained that he was too busy for his age and his health was failing him.

The day my father died was a day I will never forget.

His illness had made him bedridden, and I had stayed by his side. I conjured up every healing remedy in my mother’s book, even some that I would make up on the spot. However, none prevailed.

He spent most of his days sleeping, with me sleeping by his bedside. There was one day in particular that was the worst, his last day. Caspian and I were sitting by his bedside, hoping and praying to the stars he would get better.

“You should get some rest.” Caspian said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

I shook my head firmly. “I am not leaving him.”

“I will look after him. You have not slept in days. You need your rest.” He persisted.

“I said, I am not leaving my father, Caspian.” I snapped. I never meant to be mean to him. But my world that I knew was coming to an end. It was just hard to accept. I loved my father so much, and I never wanted him to leave me.

Suddenly, my father awoke with a gasp, which startled Caspian and I. “Aurina.” He croaked. His throat was dry so I reached for the cup of water by his bed and placed the edge gently between his lips. He drank it hungrily, as if he had been wandering through a desert for many months.

“Slower, Father.” I urged him. “You must drink slowly.”

Once he finished it, he sighed and put his head back. “My little wildflower,” He said, reaching for my hand, which I extended to him. “I am so sorry.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I did not permit them to fall. “For what, Father?” I asked.

“That I could not live to see my grandchildren.” He clutched my hand tightly.

“Don’t say that, Father.” I told him, forcing a smile. “You will be alright. You just need your rest.”

“Caspian.” He called. Caspian came to my father and held his clammy hands. “I am sorry that I could not save your father.”

“You have nothing to apologize for, sire.” He assured him. “You have been very kind to me, both you and Aurina. And I thank you for that.”

I gave Caspian a look. I could feel the end getting closer and closer. “My children,” He said, clutching our hands even tighter. “I want to know that you two will be alright. That you will both be happy and safe.”

“Yes, we will, Father.” I nodded. “Now, get some sleep.”

“No!” My father commanded. “No, I want you to make sure that each of you will be happy. I want you to look out for each other. To love each other, even when no one else will.”

“What are you saying, Philipanol?” Caspian asked. But something told me that he already knew that answer.

My father put our hands together so that Caspian and I were holding hands, with my father’s hands wrapped tightly around them. “I want you to promise me that you will marry.”

Caspian and I exchanged looks. Marry? We were only friends, practically family. I had never once thought of him as a future husband. And anyway, I was not ready to marry anyone. But then we both looked down at my father, who had so much hope in his weak brown eyes that we could hardly refuse him.

“I promise,” Caspian stated, looking at me. “That Aurina and I will marry, as soon as I am King.”

I looked at Caspian and back at my father. He looked as though he was near tears, as was I. “Please, Aurina,” He begged weakly. “Promise me.”

My eyes met Caspian’s again. “I promise that I will wed Caspian when he is King.”

We held this gaze, both wishing that this wasn’t happening. Soon, we noticed my father’s grip weakening. When I turned to look at my father, his face was completely white. “My wildflower,” he whispered weakly. Then, he exhaled loudly, but he did not inhale. My father, the Great General Philipanol of Telmar, had breathed his last, leaving me and Caspian to weep over his feeble body.

_The boy placed a hand over his mother's. She realized then that a single tear was falling from her cheek. Some wounds never heal._


	4. Chapter 3

“ _Mother, are you alright?”_

_The old woman realized that she was crying. She quickly wiped away the tear rolling down her wrinkled cheek. “I am sorry.” She smiled, trying to reassure her son. She had never been one to show many emotions, and she certainly wasn’t starting now. “Grief has a funny way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it.”_

“ _Why don’t we stop for today?” Her son rose to help her to her bed. Since she did not show emotion much, he was greatly concerned for her._

“ _No!” She commanded in her best commanding voice. Her son sat automatically, since she only used that tone when he was in trouble. She took a deep breath to calm herself. “I need to tell you the story.”_

_The boy nodded cautiously. “In that case, perhaps you should skip to a happier part.” He suggested._

_The woman nodded, grateful for her son’s concern for her. It was an admirable trait, indeed._

Well, anyway, I was inconsolable for several weeks. Eventually, Professor was able to convince me to get out of my room, but I did not interact much. Lord Miraz, my adopted uncle, only enraged me every time I saw him.

He was a hard and cold man, rarely put others before himself. I was convinced that if his own wife died, the man would hardly blink. After my father passed, his arrogance grew ten times than what it previously was. He behaved as though he was King, treating everyone, including Caspian and myself, as though we were his servants. And of course, I harbored all this anger toward the world for taking my father from me. Suffice to say, Miraz and I never saw eye to eye.

Caspian tolerated him, for he did not want to cause any ill feelings with his uncle. He was, after all, the only other living blood relative to him. I, on the other hand, did not. I fought him with everything I had except for my swords and daggers. But only because it could have put me in a lot of trouble if I had harmed him physically. He was a council member and a member of the royal family. This did not help his already inflated ego, and therefore did not care that I was grieving for my father. In fact, he often saw it as childish and a waste of time.

With all of the fights Uncle Miraz, as I was told to call him, and I got into, Caspian was the calming force. He was always there to step in, before things got too out of hand. Often times, he would pull me away and listen to me rant about how much I hated Miraz. He always tried to remind me that Miraz was my uncle and I should learn to respect him a little. To me, that was a very naive thought.

Not long after my father died, it was announced that Caspian would soon be of age to become the King of Telmar. It was around that time when I started to forget about the pain of losing my father, and try to console Caspian, who acted as though he forgot about his future until the announcement. We had decided not to announce mine and Caspian’s betrothal until after Caspian was crowned. No one knew about it, other than Professor, and that’s how we wanted it. I think we were still coming to terms with our agreement, and were still unsure about it all. Caspian especially, with his coronation coming soon, did not feel ready.

He spent many days wandering by himself. Professor started to teach us both on how to behave like royals and what some of our duties would be. And that’s how life was for a couple of months. Until one day.

“Rise and shine, malady.” My maid, Marion, said softly as she shook me awake. I snorted awake, quite unladylike, as she pulled the curtains to reveal the bright sunlight.

I squinted my eyes and rubbed them. “Why must the day be so bright?” I whined. Mornings had never been a strength of mine.

“It is a beautiful morning, malady.” Marion encouraged. She had been my maid since I came to live at the castle. At this point in time, she was getting old, but she was still able to help me get out of bed and get dressed.

Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to sit up. “The important word in that phrase is ‘morning’, my dear Marion.” After willing myself to get up, I walked over to the window that overlooked the garden. It was one of the prettiest views of the whole castle, and it was one of the things that I loved about my room. As I looked down over the beautiful flowers and shrubs, and as Marion picked out my dress for the day, I saw Caspian walking around.

It was a week before his coronation and as the day drew closer, Caspian grew more distant. “I see our future ruler is wandering in the garden again.” I sighed heavily.

“He does seem to enjoy his alone time.” Marion nodded and motioning for me to lift my arms so she could remove my nightgown.

I obeyed and glanced down at Caspian again. “He should not spend so much time alone. It is not good for him. I often wonder if he keeps to himself to avoid the reality of the situation.”

Marion fastened my bodice as she spoke. “You should not be too hard on him, malady. After all, it is a lot of change that happens all at once.”

“I know. I just worry about him.” I had and will always worry about Caspian. It was something that could not be helped.

“You are very kind to worry about him, malady. However, you must not strain your pretty little head over him. No use worrying about what you cannot control.” I pondered her words as she finished dressing me. Not being in control was something that scared me, and was not quite familiar. I could at least try…

When I was done dressing, I told Marion I would go fetch Caspian for breakfast. He would more than likely turn me away, but I could be very persuasive, if necessary.

As I entered the garden, the ever-sweet aroma of the flowers filled my nostrils. I stopped for a brief moment to inhale the scent. To me, that scent always made me feel at home and relaxed, no matter what I was feeling. Something that my father used to love, as well. It was as though every time I smelled those flowers, my father was right there, voicing aloud his admiration for natural beauty. When I was a young girl, he told me that the scent of a flower is the plant's way of speaking. That morning, they all greeted me with a friendly smell.

I brought myself back to reality, and saw Caspian sitting on a bench, fiddling with one of the wildflowers. “If you keep fiddling with that, you will stain your hands red.” I said, as I neared him. “And I am not sure that the people will respond to a king with blood-red hands.”

He turned his head to see who spoke and smiled ever so slightly. “It could be the blood of our enemies.” He joked lightly, to which I chuckled. “Why are you here?” He asked.

“To come and force you to eat breakfast.”

His smile disappeared and he looked away. “Thank you, but I am not hungry.”

I felt my concern for him rise. “Caspian, you have to eat something.” I insisted. “You have barely eaten anything all week.”

He shrugged, still refusing to meet my eyes. “I suppose I just have a lot on my mind.”

After hesitating a quick moment, I decided to take a seat on the bench next to him. “Anything you wish to share?” I asked, hoping he would talk to me. We had hardly spoken since the announcement of his coronation. Truth be told, I missed my best friend. I wanted more than anything for him to make fun of my face, or to laugh that I just sat on a cake. But he remained in solemn silence. “Caspian, please talk to me.” I begged. “You barely even look at me anymore, and I am starting to get very worried about you.”

He sighed heavily. “You do not need to be worried about me, Aurina. I am fine.”

“How am I supposed to know you are fine if you never speak to me and spend all of your time alone in gardens?” At this point, I was getting frustrated. This was a prime example why no one should ignore me for weeks upon end.

“Aurina-”

“No.” I interrupted. “Do not tell me that nothing is wrong, because if you do, I will run you through with a sword, future king or not.” That got his attention, for he turned to look at me at long last. I could see his brown eyes, that looked so much like his father's, weighed down by grief and stress. “The only thing I want to hear from you, Caspian, is an explanation as to why you have been wandering around and keeping to yourself so much.”

He looked down at his hands, which were slightly red from the flower he had been fiddling with. “There is just... so much change.” Caspian finally said.

I adjusted myself on the bench to try encourage him. He was actually talking to me now. “Go on.”

“The coronation, me becoming a king and ruling a whole country... Our wedding.” He admitted quietly, making us both shift uncomfortably. He stood up and ran a hand through his thick head of black hair. “It is all happening at once, and I do not know if I am ready for it all to change.”

I remained silent for a moment, Honestly, I could not blame him for being scared. I would never admit it to anyone, but I was thinking the same thing. After a slight pause, I said, “Everyone is scared of change, Caspian. It is normal to have second thoughts...”

“I am not having second thoughts.” He insisted, cutting me off. “I am thinking of... maybe... resigning from the throne.” Caspian purposefully avoided my eyes, anticipating my reaction.

He guessed correctly. “What?!” I nearly exclaimed. “Caspian, are you crazy? You cannot resign from the throne!”

“And why not?” He challenged, daring to look me in the eye. “I can name at least ten good men who would be a better ruler than I. If I step down, then I do not have to worry about letting down the kingdom. And we promised your father that we would wed when I become King, but if I am never crowned, then we never have to break that promise.”

I could only stare at him with a gaped open mouth. It was clear that he had been thinking this through. “But I do not understand. This is what we have been raised to do since when we were children. It is all we have ever talked about, it's all you've ever dreamed of.”

“Because it was all decided for me. Before I had even come out of my mother's womb, it had been decided that I was to be a ruler one day.” He turned his back to me and looked at the rising sun. “But I cannot take the responsibility. It is too much pressure, and I would not even know what to do. Everyone would be much better off without me ruling over them.” Caspian's voice grew quieter with every word. I could feel him withdraw even more.

In this situation, I could only chuckle from the frustration that was welling up inside me. “Well, you do not run away from your responsibilities, first of all!” I snapped, heaving a sigh. “By the stars, Caspian, you are quite frustrating at times.” Rising to my feet, I started to pace a bit, needing to process what had just been said. “You are thinking that you are not worthy to rule your people because you do not believe yourself to be ready. Well, do you not think that means that you are ready? You are already caring about your people by putting their needs first. That, Caspian, is what will make you a great king.”

He sat silently, but obviously paid attention to my words. “I guess... I'm just scared.” He admitted quietly.

Feeling the fight leak out of me, I sighed and took a seat next to him once again. “I know. To be honest, I would be worried if you did not feel this way. All I am trying to say is stop worrying. It will be fine, you will see.” I could not tell if that satisfied him or not, for his face remained like stone. I reached out and took his hand. At first, he stiffened at my touch, as if he was unfamiliar with it, but then, he relaxed a bit.

After a long pause, he finally said, “Thank you, Aurina.”

I nodded with a small smile. “I am your friend, Caspian. Nothing is ever going to change that.” I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “But come on. We better go eat before the food gets cold.”


	5. Chapter 4

We walked into the dining hall, where Uncle Miraz and Aunt Prunaprismia, or Auntie Pruna, as we called her, were finishing up their meal. We nodded to them apologetically, and took our seats. As I sat, I couldn't help but notice Miraz's intense glare on the both of us. It felt as though he was casting hatred through his eyes.

The cooks brought us our plates and we began to eat in an uncomfortable silence. That is, until Miraz broke it. “It is certainly nice of you to join your family to a meal.” He spoke with a casual anger, as he cut through his food.

“I apologize, Uncle.” Caspian answered, before I could. “It was my fault. Aurina was only trying to get me to come to eat. It will not happen again.”

“I truly hope you are right.” Miraz mumbled without really mumbling.

“Miraz,” Auntie Pruna reached out and touched her husband's hand. I remember wondering how a soft and gentle soul like her could ever love such a cold man that he was. “Let us just enjoy the time we have together.” He nodded and resumed eating, but something told me that he was not truly satisfied. “Aurina.” She turned to address me. “Will you be available this afternoon? The royal dresser has a couple of dresses she wishes to try on you for Caspian's coronation.”

Across the table, I could see Caspian tense at the mention of his impending fate. I nodded to her. “I will make sure to stop by.” Auntie Pruna smiled brightly and continued to eat her food. I noticed her eating more vigorously than usual, as if she had been starved. “Auntie Pruna, are you planning on a famine anytime soon?” I joked, nodding toward her plate.

Her cheeks blushed lightly. “Oh, I do apologize.” She wipes her mouth with her handkerchief and touches her swollen stomach. “Lately, the child has proven to have quite the appetite.” She was already several months along in her pregnancy.

It was no surprise that Pruna wanted children, since she was always so kind to me and Caspian. But the thought of Miraz being a father chilled me to the bone. No one would have guessed that he would be one to want children. Before this, I had always thought that he saw children or anyone younger than him as though they were beneath him. Dumb and reckless creatures of the world.

“Must be a growing boy,” Miraz commented, smiling at a secret that only he seemed to know.

“We do not know if it is a boy, my love.” Pruna corrected him. “But I am certain that the child should arrive any day now.”

“I certainly hope it is a boy.” Miraz insisted, as if talking to himself. “A man has so much more to offer the world.”

“And a woman does not?” I couldn’t help but ask. I felt Caspian giving me a look of warning, but I did not heed the warning.

“For some lesser people,” The man replied. “I suppose a woman does have some things to offer. But to others, a man could prove to be very useful.”

Something in the way he spoke gave me an uneasy feeling. But then suddenly, it dawned on me. Of course, Miraz wanted children. He wanted an heir of his own, in order to keep his blood in the royal family. But if he was trying to create a lineage of his own, that would mean that he is behaving like a king. But Caspian is the only thing in his way at the moment.

I cleared my throat. “Caspian?” I grabbed his arm. “I think I recall that we are supposed to be meeting with Professor at the moment.” I said, looking him in the eye, trying to convey a secret message.

He nodded in understanding. “Ah, yes. Please excuse us, Uncle Miraz and Auntie Pruna.”

We made our escape calmly and quickly. I dragged Caspian down the corridors of the castle and headed towards the play room. Since we were younger, the play room was mine and Caspian's place of meeting. And since it was located in a rather unpopulated part of the castle, it eliminated the chances of anyone eavesdropping. We reached the room and I closed the door behind me.

“What is going on, Aurina?” Caspian asked.

I paused for a moment, rubbing my hands together anxiously. Finally, I looked to him. “Caspian, I think you are in danger.” I stated bluntly.

He blinked a couple of times to process what he had just heard and pushed his eyebrows together. “And what gives you that idea?”

“Pruna is with child.”

“Yes, I know. Is that a bad thing?”

I grunted in frustration. “Think about it, Caspian. Why is Miraz so excited about this child?”

He shrugged. “Because he is getting older and wishes to have children with his wife, like a normal husband.”

My patience with Caspian surprises me, even today. And this time, it was no exception. “Miraz is a selfish man, Caspian. He cares about nothing, only what benefits himself.”

He rolled his eyes. “Aurina, we have talked about this.”

“No, you have talked about this. I have merely listened and kept my mouth shut until now.” I began to ring my hands nervously. “There is no use denying the facts, Caspian. Miraz is greedy and selfish and I think he may be out to harm you. Maybe even kill you.”

I explained to the slightly stunned Caspian about my theory. I could tell he was listening, but his mind seemed to be thinking very hard. He hesitated before saying, “Aurina, please forgive me for this, but do you think... maybe your opinion of Miraz is clouding your judgement?”

My mouth dropped and my eyebrows disappeared into my hairline. Was he really questioning me? Me?! “I beg your pardon?” I asked, venom seeping into my tone.

Instinctively, he backed up a couple of steps, holding up his hands. “I do not mean to offend, but you have never liked Miraz. You two argue every time you lay eyes on each other. It is a miracle that you have not slain each other yet.” He spoke quickly. “So maybe... do you think that you want to believe that he would do something so despicable?”

“Yes. Absolutely.” I answered, a fire kindling within my bones. “Because I know Miraz. You know Miraz. When has he ever shown a shred of kindness or gentility to any living thing? When has he ever been a father-figure to anyone?”

“He is like a father to me.” Caspian defended him.

Chuckling darkly, I said, “Probably because he has not had an heir of his own and you are the closest to the throne. And do you not think it is a coincidence that he and Auntie Pruna have a child just as you are about to become King?” He remained silent. “He is planning something, Caspian. And I do not like it. The fact that you are choosing not to see the obvious is very naïve.” I knew as I said those words that they were harmful, and I saw Caspian physically react to it, but I could not help myself.

“Please, Aurina.” Caspian sighed, rubbing his temples. “I cannot hear this now.”

“Then when?” I challenged. “When he has burned down the whole castle and carved his name into the hills? Caspian, this is happening whether you accept it or not.”

“What do you expect me to do, Aurina? Go to the Council and tell them that Miraz _might_ be planning something, even though I have absolutely no proof? Go in hiding?” For once, I found myself speechless. He was actually right, for once. “We have to assume that he is innocent until we have evidence that suggests otherwise. I am sorry.”

He turned to leave the room, leaving me in angered shock. “Caspian?” I finally asked before he went out the door. “What if we're too late?”

He paused in consideration and we both stood there in silence. “I am not sure.” He finally said quietly. “Perhaps we should start believing in miracles.” Caspian then walked out gently shutting the door behind him.

Later that eveing, we sat up in Our Tower and watched dusk turn to night. It was another spot we liked to go with the Professor at night, because it was the perfect place to go stargazing. It also was typically the place where he would regale the stories of Narnia. That night, we counted the stars and tried to quiz each other on their names. I look back on that evening as one of the happiest moments of my life. Because for a moment, everything was perfect.

“Why did you bring us up here, Professor?” I asked him, after a while of star gazing.

The old man stroked his long white beard and sighed. “I thought that it had been too long since you both were up here. And with you both maturing so fast and new responsibilities presenting themselves, I suppose that I just wanted to remind you that no matter how old or wise you get, you will never surpass the stars.” He glanced up at the sky, as Caspian and I leaned back on the slope of the tower. “The stars are the ever-encompassing wise men of the skies. No matter how far you go, they are always above you, watching and guiding. They tell us where to go and what to do, and offer us help when we need it.”

I wondered if my father was somewhere up there, looking down on me. I hoped he was. “What do you think they would say if they could speak?” Caspian speculated.

“Probably that you are a simpleton.” I joked, nudging him in the side.

“They always speak to you.” Professor explained, ignoring my insult all together. “Some call the voice in your head that dictates right and wrong your instincts, but I choose to believe that it is the stars, guiding you on the right path. Trust your stars, my children. With all the troubles you will face in your future, the stars are a great consult. Even when everything else has failed you, the stars never cease.”

I had the feeling that he was trying to tell us something, but it was rather cryptic. Glancing over at Caspian, he seemed to be thinking the same. We both shrugged our shoulders, not really wanting to think about whatever he was speaking about. All that mattered at that moment was the beauty of the night sky and my best friend was at my side.

“Are you still having your doubts?” I whispered over to him, so that Professor did not hear.

He hesitated for a moment, deliberating on what to say. “With you to help me, I think I shall be fine.” Caspian said, looking over at me, grinning.

I smiled back, and grabbed a hold of his hand, giving it a friendly squeeze. We then turned our attention back to the stars until Professor instructed us to go to bed.

Even as I fell asleep, I felt as though I was still up on the roof with Caspian and Professor, only the stars were coming down towards us and making us fly like birds.

About a day or two later, the day came when Auntie Pruna went into labor. That was the day that everything changed. In the days that followed, I would come to understand the Professor’s words.


	6. Chapter 5

A soft rustle of metal coming from the hallway stirred me from my sleep that night. Not liking the sound of it, I slipped on my robe and opened the door a crack to investigate. My eyes fell on soldiers, by my counting at least eight of them, were shuffling into Caspian's room next door, all of them wielding crossbows. Bringing up the rear, was none other than my father's ruthless successor, General Glozelle.

My stomach went up to my throat with instant worry. After they had all gone in, I crept as silently as I could over to Caspian's door, pushing it slightly ajar to see what was going on. From my vantage point, I saw the soldiers circled around Caspian's bed, his curtain still drawn. Suddenly, a sharp wisp flew through the air and cut through the curtain. It was an arrow from a crossbow! I covered my mouth so I would not make any sound. They were firing arrows at a sleeping Caspian through the curtain! He did not have a fighting chance.

Unable to peel my eyes away from the horror scene, I watched as more arrows shot through the curtain and plunging into the bed, with a soft thud and an explosion of feathers. Once they were sure he was dead, they waited for the feathers to clear and peered into the bed, now visible from the many holes made by the arrows. But once it did clear, they did not find a skewered Caspian. Instead, they found an empty bed.

I let out a small breath of relief, thanking the stars that he was still alive. But then I heard Glozelle order, “Search the castle.” Quickly, I ran back into my room, hiding behind the door and waiting for the soldiers to leave. Once the rustling of metal ceased, I peeked my head out to double check that they were gone. Upon seeing that they were, I flew back into Caspian's room, hoping to find a clue to where he had gone.

I looked through his belongings and found that none of his clothes were missing besides his night clothes. Clearly, he had left in a hurry. I went the arrow-filled bed and felt the pillow and blankets. They were still somewhat warm, indicating that Caspian had not been gone for long. He probably had just missed the soldiers.

Running back out into the hall, I tried to deduce where he would have gone. I just had to find Caspian before the soldiers did. My mind tried to put itself in Caspian's thoughts. If he had left in a hurry and not long before the soldiers arrived, that must have meant that he was alerted somehow to the surprise attack. But why were the soldiers trying to kill him in the first place? And who would have cared to warn Caspian of his impending doom? Professor! If anyone would have any clue about the inner workings of this castle, he would know. I ran down the hall towards his room, cursing him that his room was so much farther from mine.

As I made my way through the castle, I happened to have passed by the courtyard, where I heard lots of shouting. Peering over the railing of the second floor, I looked down and saw Caspian on his horse, Destrier, dashing towards the gate. “Caspian!” I gasped. If he had heard me, he showed no sign of it, for he pushed over the guards and flew through the gate and off into the night.

Tears stung my eyes, as I was both angry and confused. Why on Earth was he running and where was he running to? Just then, fireworks lit up the sky above the castle. Those fireworks could have only meant one thing. Auntie Pruna had given birth to her child, and if Caspian was being hunted by General Glozelle and his soldiers, it must have meant that she had given birth to a son and my theory had been correct all along. I then made the decision to go after him.

I dashed through the corridors and to the stables, where my horse, Aria, was kept. She whinnied at the sight of me, but I went and pet her nose to calm her. “Shh,” I bade her, rubbing the soft part of her nose. I grabbed the reins and saddle and readied her for departure. But before I could secure the saddle, the stable doors burst open and many voices filled the air. Instinctively, I hid in the stall, patting Aria on her side to steady her.

“Ready your horses, men!” A loud voice commanded. Glozelle. I glanced around the corner to see who was there. I recognized all of the men instantly; they were some of the most ruthless soldiers in our army, all dressed in black armor. They all mounted their horses within seconds of entering the stables. “Our orders are to bring him back, dead or alive.” Glozelle commanded.

My heart leaped into my throat, but I kept my mouth closed, fearing that I would scream. They were going after Caspian, my best friend, with intent to capture him. If they did not kill him during the pursuit, he would surely perish by Miraz's hand.

I waited until they had cleared out of the stables before I dared to breathe again. Peering around Aria and making sure no one else was there, I ran across to the weapons shelves, preparing myself for whatever I needed to do.

As I finished fastening a sword to my belt, a hand grabbed my shoulder. Instinctively, I grabbed the sword and spun around, holding my sword to my attacker's throat. “Aurina!” Professor cried, holding up his hands.

Taking a deep breath and rolling my eyes, I put down my sword. “Professor, do not startle me so.” I scolded him. “Next time, I might just run you through without even thinking.”

“I shall keep that in mind. What are you doing?” He asked, noting my gathering of weapons.

“I do believe my intentions are fairly obvious.” I told him frankly. “Caspian has run away and Glozelle and his men are after him.”

“And you think you can go after them single handedly?”

I slumped my shoulders. Why was it that he never understood my actions? I turned and faced him. “I am unsure if you are aware, but I am a skilled fighter. I have fought each one of those men when I was much younger and I do not suspect I will fail this time.” I grabbed a pack and started walking back to Aria, Professor following close behind me.

“Aurina, you must think about this.”

“I have thought about it and I am not going to let them kill my friend, Professor.”

He grabbed my arm, forcing me to stop and look at him. This was not a normal occurrence and it frightened me a little. In his old grey eyes, I saw a terror that had never been seen before. “What is your plan exactly? Those men already have a head start, and it is in the middle of the night. You may never catch them in time or you will get lost.”

“I am willing to risk it if it means saving Caspian.” I tried to wrench my arm from his grasp, but he held it firmly.

“Please, Aurina. You are no good to him if you get lost or injured. Or worse. And what happens to me? I cannot lose you both. I do not think I could handle that.” This caused me to pause. Professor was the closest thing I had to a father. He had always been there for me and cared for me like I was his own daughter. How could I just abandon him? “Please, Aurina. Do not go. For my sake.”

I bit my lip and hung my head. “But how am I supposed to sit here, knowing that Caspian is out there somewhere, literally fleeing for his life?”

His grip on my arm loosened. “We must trust that he knows what he is doing and will do what he can to survive. Your father taught him the ways of the sword, too. The stars will watch over him now.”

I could feel tears streaming down my face and flung my arms around Professor, burying my face in his shoulder. He held me close and let me weep, stroking my back gently and lovingly. Images of Caspian flooded my mind, and I wept harder, fearing for his life and hoping that he would return safely.

Professor accompanied me back to my room, telling me not to worry about Caspian. Of course, that was a very naïve command. Until Caspian was back at the castle and safe from Miraz, I would not be able to stop worrying. Once Professor left me alone, all I could do was lay on my bed. There would be no way for me to sleep that night.

Soon enough, the sun rose. As predicted I had not slept at all. Once I saw the sun start to peer in my bed chambers, I decided to get up. I could no longer lay still, so I decided to wander down to the garden. Throwing my robe over my nightgown, I stepped out into the corridor.

The servants were going about their business as if nothing had happened last night. I could over hear the maids gossiping about Auntie Pruna's new baby as I made my way down to the garden. On any other day, I might have gone to Auntie Pruna to congratulate her and play with the child. But I could not do anything or think of anything else but Caspian. I also was not about to risk running into Miraz, for fear of what he might to do to me.

Once I made it to the gardens, I felt instantly calmer. The aroma of the flowers and the morning dew brought me back to a happier time. When my father and I would play in the gardens. I remember looking over the garden wall and down at the draw bridge just beneath us, throwing rocks at the people below to see who would look up and shout. Now, as I looked over the wall and at the draw bridge, I didn't find as much joy as I had when I was a young girl. This time, I looked down and surveyed the people coming in and out of the castle, searching for Glozelle or Caspian.

I raised my eyes to look on the horizon. Beyond the little village surrounding the castle was the Haunted Wood. Stories of evil and gross creatures that live in the woods scared me as a child. Caspian had found great joy in teasing me about it. But no one I had ever met had ever entered or exited the Haunted Wood. Professor told us stories of the ghosts of Narnian creatures roaming those woods. It was an intriguing mystery that seemed to loom over the horizon. I sent a quick prayer to the stars that Caspian had not ventured to that far.

The sound of many hooves clattering on stone brought me back. It was difficult to see being so far away, but I could see a group of soldiers on horseback dressed in all black armor. My stomach dropped as I saw the leader carrying a body covered in a black cloth. It hung on his horse limply and bounced as it trotted along the pavement.

My knees caved in and I dropped to the ground. My cheeks were suddenly wet with tears. Caspian was dead! I was alone and he was dead. I distantly heard an anguished cry, but soon realized it was coming from me. I was screaming harder than I had ever screamed. My lungs felt as though they were on fire and my throat felt as though a sword were cutting it open. My best friend was gone, and I had the chance to save him, but I didn't. I had never felt so alone like I did that day.

_“But I do not understand.” The boy said, knitting his eyebrows together. “He did not die. He's alive and well.”_

_The mother smiled gently. “At the time, I did not know where he had gone or what had happened. All I knew was that Glozelle and his men went after Caspian and came back the next morning with a body.”_

_“And you were sure it was not a deer or some other animal?”_

_She placed a hand on her son's leg. “My son, do you want to know the rest of the story?” He nodded. “Good, then let us continue and all will be explained in due time.”_

As I sat on the grass shaking with grief, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Looking up, I saw Professor looking down on me with all the sympathy in his eyes. It was clear that he knew. He knelt down and started to wipe away my tears. “I am so sorry, my dear Aurina.” He said sincerely. “Truly I am.”

A surge of anger swelled within me. “Do not tell me you are sorry, Professor. You told me not to go after him! You were the one who convinced me to stay!” My voice was still shaky with sobs. I knew I was being irrational to the poor man, but I was so overcome with grief, logic did not seem to make sense.

Professor nodded and lowered his gaze. “One day, you shall understand why this had to happen. I truly hope that in time you can forgive me.” He then slowly disappeared into the castle.

As I sat, my mind began to play over the last day I spent with Caspian. Laying out under the stars, tripping one of the easily tempered maids with a twig and blaming it on one of the other servants, joking about the future. But then, I recalled the cryptic things that Professor had told us that night in the tower. To trust the stars no matter what. And then him talking about me forgiving him, as if he had something to do with these events. Something was not right.

I decided that I would go to him and see if he knew anything that he was not saying. As I made my way through the castle, none of the servants dared to look at me. They seemed to know of what happened to their Prince, but did not seemed to be effected. Part of me was angry because of that. But I was focused on finding the Professor; my anger would have to wait.

However, when I rounded the corner to Professor's room, I saw that he was being escorted out by two soldiers. Miraz emerging from the room not too far behind them. My stomach boiled at the sight of my friend and tutor being shoved down the corridor so brutally.

“Unhand him at once!” I shouted, rushing up to the four of them. They all turned to face me, but Miraz took his time. He knew that I would not like what was happening and he was reveling in the moment.

“This is not a matter that concerns you, Aurina.” He stated proudly.

“I think it should concern me greatly if you are arresting my tutor!” I said, putting my hands on my hips.

Miraz peered into my bloodshot eyes with his dark orbs. “He is a criminal. And criminals must be punished.”

“And what is his crime? Teaching children how to read and write?”

“Conspiring against the Council. And that is all I have to say about that.” He turned and motioned for the two soldiers to lead the way.

My anger replaced my sorrow in a split second and I lashed out. “Murderer!” I screamed, jumping at Miraz ready to fight him. But two soldiers had snuck up behind me as I talked with Miraz and prevented me from touching the evil man. They were strong men, but I fought back with every muscle in my body. I kicked and screamed and cried out for Professor. Miraz did not flinch or look back at me. Professor did not get a chance to, for he was being pushed down the corridor quickly.

Eventually, my body gave up and went limp. The two soldiers carried me to my bed chambers and ordered me to stay. Normally, I would have rebelled against being ordered around in such a manner, but I was too emotional to care.

I laid down on my bed, feeling frustrated, depressed, but mostly exhausted. Soon, I gave in and let sleep take me.


	7. Chapter 6

After my fitful night of sleep, I decided that lying in bed was not the best way to spend my time. Looking out of my window, I could see it was still nighttime. The servants and guards would be scarce at this time of night. I started to hatch a plan in my brain. I just had to see Professor.

I grabbed my cloak and threw it around my nightgown. Even if there was anyone to see me out, they would have a hard time seeing my face. Concealing my emergency daggers within the cloak and covering my head with the hood, I then proceeded out to the corridor.

As I slipped into the kitchen, I passed by maybe two servants who looked too fatigued to notice anything around them. Magnoralia was one of the head cooks, and had been around since I came to live in the castle. She would often slip me and Caspian treats or leftovers from banquets or let us play in the kitchen. From her exterior, one would not be able to tell how gentle she truly is, with her large and sturdy figure, with calloused hands. But she was the mother of ten children, therefore, she had developed a patience and understanding for the youth. But still, she gave me a basketful of food, after offering condolences for the loss of Caspian. I quickly bade her goodbye and made my way down to the dungeon. No one glanced my way, or stopped me to ask me where I was headed.

The stairwell to the dungeon was quite the journey. Because it was a place to instill fear in those who are trapped down here, no one ever cleaned or swept or repaired any step. The steps were made of stone and covered in dirt and filth. There were scattered torches on the walls, but provided little light, making you nervous for the next step you take to land on a loose stone. As I descended, I could hear the faint sound of rats scurrying out of my path or squeaking at me.

Finally, I reached the bottom only to face a guard that was as tall as a horse, dressed in the dark armor of the Telmarine army. Upon seeing me, the guard stiffened and gripped his sword. I instinctively pulled the hood over my head down further, so I could keep my identity hidden from him. “Who are you and what is your bidding?” The guard's deep voice bellowed, practically shaking the walls.

“I have brought bread for the prisoner.” I answered softly, not out of fear, but to play the part of a servant.

“Who sent you?” He questioned.

My mind raced with an answer that would not merit more questions or suspicions. Suddenly, it came to me. “The Lady Prunaprismia.”

The large man eyed me very closely for a long moment. “Make it quick.” He replied, reaching for his keys and unlocking the gate.

I nodded and descended deeper down into the Earth. It was a cold and wet dungeon. Very few torches were lit, nor did they provide much light. Also, the rats gathered by the hundreds down here. Once I reached the bottom step, I glanced back up the steps to see if the guard had followed me. After concluding that he remained up the stairs, I dropped my hood and whispered, “Professor?”

Surprisingly enough, the dungeon had few occupants at that time. In the first cell, I looked to find a man who's back was towards me. His dark hair was greatly disheveled and dirty. But the most alarming thing about the man were the number of rats that appeared to be chewing on his flesh. Swallowing the vomit in my mouth, I moved on to the other cell. “Professor?” I dared to whisper a little louder.

“Aurina?” came a weak voice from the third cell. I rushed to the bars and came face to face with my beloved professor.

“Professor! Thank the stars you are alright! I brought you food.” I said, holding out a generous piece of bread. The old man grabbed it from my hands and bit into it, savoring every crumb. “What happened? Why did Miraz put you down here?”

“It was only a matter of time before I received this fate.” He replied, picking the bread crumbs out of his beard. “But I did what I believed to be right and I will not apologize for that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You know as well as I do that Miraz does not like the old tales. He forbade anyone to tell such stories. I knew it was a risk to tell you about Narnia or the Kings and Queens of Old. But I would not change it. I wanted both you and Caspian to know them.”

“Miraz imprisoned you because you told us fairytales?” My blood began to boil.

“No, he imprisoned me because I helped Caspian escape.”

My heart sank all the way to the ground, and the world around stopped in its tracks. “You? You helped him escape?”

“Miraz had just birthed a son. You told me yourself that Miraz could not be trusted. I realized that when the baby was born, Caspian would suddenly become expendable. But I had to do it without anyone's knowledge so that no one else would be punished.”

“Professor, because of you, Caspian is dead.” The moment the words left my mouth I felt the grief come back again.

Through the dimly lit room, I could see Professor ponder something. He then looked me in the eye and got closer to the bars so we were face to face. “No, Aurina. Caspian is alive.” Professor said.

My head felt as though it had been sliced in half, because it hurt so bad. Caspian actually alive? It couldn't be. “Professor, I really hope that you are joking.” I said with a hint of anger.

“I swear it. He is alive.”

“That is not funny, Professor!” I snapped momentarily forgetting how sound carries in the dark walls of the dungeon. “Caspian is gone. He is dead.”

He lowered his eyes. “Before Caspian left that night, I gave him something. It was to make sure that he could call for help if he really needed it. It appears as though he did use it, and help will soon come.”

“You are not making any sense. What are you talking about? What did you give him?” I slammed my hands against the bars and gripped them tightly.

Professor looked to his right, and sighed. “Look in the second cell. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. Everything you know is about to change.”

My anger was replaced by caution. I prayed that Caspian was not in that cell. I prayed that he was anywhere, but down in this dirty and dark cell. Slowly, I made my way to the second cell and peered in, squinting due to the lack of light. But as I looked inside, I discovered two small eyes staring back at me. They were not Telmarine brown, nor did they belong to anyone I recognized. They were small and lightly colored. “Who are you?” I asked breathlessly. Shivers danced on my spine.

Movement. The eyes moved closer to me, and I had to cover my mouth to keep from screaming. The pair of eyes belonged to a red-haired, defiant looking dwarf! He stood, glaring at me as though daring me to attack him. His mouth was gagged with a rag, stopping him from speaking. The chains around his wrists prevented him from moving closer, though they rattled with his movement. I blinked hard, hoping that it was a dream.

“You can return to your duties now.” The guard's voice from above boomed into the darkness. I dropped the basket I carried and ran up the stairs, not bothering to bid Professor goodbye.

Dwarves do not exist. Dwarves are fictional. You did not see a dwarf. I told myself as I fled towards the light of day.

I seemed to float back to my room, where I shut the door and paced, going over the previous conversation with Professor. The image of the dwarf haunted me. How was it possible that a dwarf not only existed but was chained in the dungeon? What did he have to do with Caspian’s escape? I had so many unanswered questions. But then I thought back to the stories Professor had told us. I went to my wardrobe and removed the false bottom to retrieve the book I kept in hiding. 

Professor had given it to me so many years ago. It was a book recounting the tales of Narnia and its rulers. At the time, he had made me promise to never show another living person this book. But to use it, if I ever I needed it. I flipped through the pages, seeing the hand drawn portraits of The White Witch, Aslan, and the Kings and Queens of Old. My eyes read the passage written next to the portrait of Queen Susan the Gentle. 

"Many Narnians believe that the horn belonging to Queen Susan the Gentle held powerful magic. They believed that magic could one day bring back the Kings and Queens of Old. Upon their arrival, the Narnians will come out of hiding and rise up against the evil in the land. They will restore Narnia to the way it was before their disappearance. With them, a new age will begin." 

Is this what Professor was talking about? Did Professor have Queen Susan's horn? Is that the reason for the dwarf? These thoughts haunted me as I pondered them. Eventually, they overtook me and I fell asleep clutching the book close to my heart.

_“Aurina?” A knock at the door interrupted the story. The King poked his head into the room, and smiled when his eyes fell on his son. “Am I interrupting?”_

_“Yes.” The old woman joked, folding her arms._

_“Oh, good.” The King entered the room with a large smile. The King had grown a long beard, that had flecks of gray in it. His crown laid on top of his head, which once was full of luscious locks, but now was thinning and growing a light shade of white._

_“Mother is telling me a story.” The boy explained._

_“Oh, what a surprise.” The King nodded, placing an aging hand on his son's shoulder. “Which one is she regaling today?”_

_“I'm telling him my story. About the days leading up to your coronation.” The old woman stated, looking at the King carefully._

_The smile on his wrinkled face slowly disappeared, as he processed her words. “I thought we were going to wait to tell him.” He replied._

_“He is ready now.” She told him._

_“He is also quite confused and still seated here.” The boy interjected._

_The two adults paused for a moment exchanging unreadable looks, before the woman turned back to her son. “My apologies, dear one.”_

_“It’s been quite a while since I have heard this story. Would you mind if I were to listen in for a moment?” The King asked._

_“As long as you can keep your mouth shut, so that I may tell the story.” She said, with a smile. The King put up his hands to indicate that he would so as he sat. “Now, where was I?”_

_“You had fallen asleep with the book of Narnia in your arms.” The boy repeated._

_“Ah, yes.”_


	8. Chapter 7

I was awoken by a hand covering my mouth roughly. I squirmed for a moment, and instinctively reached for the emergency dagger I kept under my pillow. When I opened my eyes, I moved the dagger closer to my attacker, but he caught my wrist. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and they met a familiar set of soft brown eyes.

There was a chuckle, and then he said, “Aurina, we have talked about this. You should not sleep with a dagger. You could hurt somebody.”

I inhaled sharply, and dropped the dagger on the bed. Could it be? “Caspian?” I whispered as I cupped his face. I could feel his cold cheeks and hear him breathing. He was real. He was alive! “Oh, Caspian!” I exclaimed throwing my arms around him and squeezing him close. Tears stained my eyes as joy filled my every corner. “You're alive.”

“Not for much longer.” He grunted. It was then when I realized that I was squeezing him too tight. I released him and apologized. “Listen, we do not have much time. You must get dressed.” He instructed. “Grab whatever provisions and weapons you can carry and meet me at the stables.” Caspian got up to leave, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

“What? We are leaving?”

“I promise I will explain everything later. But right now, I have to find Professor. Do you know where he is?”

I paused, but not letting go of his arm. “Miraz had him arrested. He is down in the dungeon.” I replied solemnly.

Even the dark light of the room, I could see a fire being kindled in his eyes. “Do not worry. Miraz will soon pay for his crimes.”

This was the first time I had ever heard him speak ill of his uncle. “Caspian, what is going on? Tell me right now.” I demanded, tightening my grip on his arm. It was then when I realized that he was dressed in armor, his sword in its sheath. This is the kind of clothing you wear when you are going to battle, not returning home. 

“We are taking the castle.” He answered quietly. “Tonight.”

“That is madness!” I exclaimed. “No one has ever successfully taken a Telmarine castle. And who is we?”

“Believe me, it was not my first choice. Look, Aurina, we are running out of time. I need to get to Professor and get the gate open.” He embraced tightly to reassure me. It didn't work. “Everything will be explained in due time. I promise. Now, get dressed. Wait for me in the stables and keep to the shadows.”

He left quickly and silently, leaving me standing in my room more confused than I had ever been. However, I was not going to stand around and do nothing. I got together my mesh uniform and packed a small bag of weapons and herbs. After getting everything prepared, I put the book of Narnian tales back in its hiding place and grabbed my sword.

When I was satisfied with the things I had gathered, I went to the door, and listened for anyone out in the corridor. There were some light footsteps and clanking of metal, probably the night guardsman making the rounds. Once they started to get quieter and move away, I poked my head out into the corridor to make sure it was empty. It was.

I stepped out of my room and closed the door as quietly as I could. Then I slipped into the shadows and started making my way to the stables.

I had gone a short distance before rounding a corner and coming face to face with two shadows. I whipped out my sword ready to fight, thinking they were two guards, but then one of them held out their hands. “Please, don't! We're not here to fight!” The voice belonged to a woman, and one that did not sound Telmarine. They couldn't have been guards. The other shadow was holding out his sword toward me, so I did not lower my weapon.

“If you are not here to fight, then put your sword down. Who are you and what is your purpose here?” I demanded.

“Are you Aurina?” The woman asked, after looking me over carefully.

I aimed my sword towards her. How did this stranger know my name? “I am. Now answer my question: Who are you and what is your purpose here? Do you work for Miraz?”

“Actually, we came looking for him.” The other shadow spoke. It was a man's voice but again it was not Telmarine. “Can you tell us where we can find him?”

“I am not saying anything until you tell me who you are.” I snapped.

“I'm Susan.” The woman said, stepping closer to me and coming into the light. Her face was pale with some freckles. Her dark hair was pulled back into a braid, and she was dressed in a dark mesh dress. On her back, I could see a case of arrows and a bow slung around her torso. I had seen her before, but I could not tell from where. But then I recalled her name.

“And this is my brother, Peter.” She gestured to the shadow behind her, who then took a cautious step foot forward. What struck me immediately was his bright blue eyes. They were strong, yet soft, as if to say that he did his best to hide his weak spots. Yellow hair fell in front of his eyes, his strong jaw set in place. He was also dressed in armor of sorts, but not of Telmarine design. The hair alone was a clear sign that he was not from here. No one in Telmar had yellow hair.

The determination in Peter's face and the bow and arrow that Susan carried, I was struck with a thought. “Queen Susan?” I voiced aloud. “And High King... Peter?” They differed slightly from the images in my book, but it was clear

“Yes. Now that the introductions have been made, can you please lower your sword and point us in the direction of Miraz's bed chambers?” Peter replied not too politely.

“Caspian sent us.” Susan added.

“No! This cannot be true. How am I supposed to believe that you are with Caspian and that you are who you claim to be?” I asked, waving my sword between the two of them. Narnia was a fairytale, and so were its rulers. I wanted solid proof that I was wrong in thinking so.

“Philipanol and Adehlina.” Susan said. There was my proof. Caspian and I had decided long ago, before we promised our betrothal to each other, we would name our children, Philipanol, if it was a boy, and Adehlina, if it was a girl. Later, we set those names up as a secret code of sorts. In the event of capture, we would be able to indicate safety with those names. We told no one those names or their meaning, so I had no choice but to trust these two fairytale figures.

“Alright, I will accompany you to Miraz's chambers.” I said. “But you will do as I say when I say it, no questions asked. Just because I am putting my sword in its scabbard, do not think that I can still run you through. Understood?” Both of them nodded. As I put my sword away, I nodded to the supposed High King of Narnia. “Right, then put your sword away and we will go.”

“Why?” Peter protested, lowering his sword.

“If your sword catches the light of the moon or the torches, then our positions will be given away.” I replied. “Remember the 'no questions' part?” Peter looked at his sister, who shrugged. Reluctantly, he put it away. “Now, keep to the shadows and follow me.”

We crept down the long and winding corridors. Stopping every once in a while, when we heard footsteps. Peter and Susan were very good at blending into the shadows, as if they had done this before.

Once we reached the corner near Miraz's chambers, I signalled for them to keep to the wall. Pressing my back to the cold stone wall, I heard a conversation between two soldiers.

“Caspian is not a threat to the Telmarines. He is a scared boy, trying to act like a king.” One of them said.

“I am not so sure. Before the Great Philipanol died, he taught Caspian how to fight. He was getting rather good up until the General fell ill.” My heart skipped a beat at the mention of my father.

“But he has never been in battle. He has never lead an army.”

“He was rather close to Aurina. And you and I both know how well she can fight. Maybe she taught him a thing or two about strategies.”

“Ha! A woman teaching a man how to strategize a battle? Aurina may be a good swordsman, but I sincerely doubt that she was capable to teaching Caspian.” My jaw set in anger at the man's words.

Muttering a curse under my breath, I motioned for both Peter and Susan to stay put and out of sight. I took a split second to center myself, placing a hand on the hilt of my sword. Then, I sprung from my hiding spot and drew my sword in a blink of an eye. I put myself in the ready stance, now completely visible to the two soldiers. “Would you care to see a woman out sword two grown soldiers?” I asked with a smirk on my lips.

In a flash, I leapt towards them, swinging my sword around with an audible whoosh. Both men attacked and thrusted their swords me, which I expertly dodged and avoided. There was a small second of swords clanging, before I ducked down and turned, sticking my foot out while I did. My foot collided with theirs, forcing them both to lose their balance and fall to the ground. Once they hit the ground, I stood up and kicked the closest head hard, knocking him out cold. His body went limp, as the other one grabbed my leg.

He yanked hard on my ankle, half trying to throw me off balance and half trying to get enough strength to get himself back on his feet. But it was short lived as I did another spinning kick to his head, knocking off his helmet. The soldier fell to the stone ground with a thud, completely unconscious.

I turned to recover the swords they had dropped in the scrimmage and looked over to the corner where two heads were poking out. “Hurry! Someone would have heard that.” I motioned for them to follow. As they emerged from the hiding place, I could see both of their mouths hanging open.

“That was incredible!” Peter gasped.

I tried to hide my blush, by ducking my head. “It needed to be done.”

“No, really, that was amazing.” Susan insisted.

“Where did you learn to do all of that?” Peter asked.

“My father.” I replied, glancing down the corridor leading to Miraz's chambers. Seeing that it was clear for now, I motioned them to follow me.

We arrived at Miraz's chambers and saw two guards collapsed on the ground unconscious. “Well, Caspian has been through here.” I stated, looking at the bump on one of the guard's head. It was shaped like the hilt of his sword.

“That's not part of the plan.” Peter muttered aloud.

“Are you sure it's him?” Susan asked me.

I pointed at the odd shaping of the bump. “See how there are three concentric holes in a triangular pattern? These are from the three points at the hilt of his sword, the official sword of the Prince of Telmar. It is Caspian.”

Suddenly, there was the sound of voices at the end of the corridor. More than likely, it was the change of the night guardsmen. “You two go. I'll create a distraction.” I said pulling out my sword.

“Thanks.” Peter replied, grabbing the hilt of his sword.

“Will you be alright?” Susan asked.

I smirked playfully. “Always. No go.”

I watched them disappear into the room, while saying a silent prayer for them and Caspian. It was also a moment for me to come to terms with what was happening. I was still unsure of them being who they claimed to be, but with the thought of seeing the dwarf and the Professor’s cryptic words, it was hard to ignore the coincidences. Another sound of voices from the end of the hall kept my moment short. I drew back my sword and swung it around so that it clinked with the stone wall.

“What was that?” I heard from one of them. Their footsteps echoed as they quickened their pace. I turned and ran in the opposite direction, careful to make my footsteps audible. From the sounds that echoed off the walls, I could tell that I had captured their attention.


	9. Chapter 8

Speeding through the corridors of the castle, being chased by guards, reminded me of when I was young and I played practical jokes on the staff. Many years later, I still enjoyed the feeling of exhilaration that a chase provided. Only this time, if I was caught, the punishment would be more severe than a stern look from my father.

Still hearing the soldiers behind me, I slowed my pace ever so slightly so they could see who they were pursuing. Plus, I thought I might give them a sense of accomplishment. As soon as they caught sight of me, they shouted my name in anger, demanding that I stop for questioning. Smiling, I then speed up and turn a sharp corner down another endless corridor. Caspian wanted me to meet him at the stables, so I was making my way there in a matter of speaking. I was trying to bide him and Peter and Susan some time to do whatever crazy thing they were planning. Also, I was quite enjoying the chase.

I looked over my shoulder to see that two more guards have joined in, making me grin even wider. I was able to maneuver around servants and ducking into small corridors that lead to more corridors with ease. Seeing that I was drawing closer to the stables, I increased my already impossibly fast pace. I felt my bones screeched as they adjusted to the new speed, since I had not run this fast in a very long time. But I pushed through, thinking of the larger scale of things.

My turns got more abrupt and sharp. From the frustrated and tired sounds of my pursuers, they were not as agile as I was. Every once in a while, I would hear a loud bang or a woman's yelp. The sounds got further and further behind me and I finally made it the stables, the soldiers far enough away for me to ready myself for a fight.

I closed the doors behind me and locked them, taking a moment to catch my breath. My lungs felt as though they were on fire; my legs were complaining about all of the running. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, making me jump and swing my leg out to deliver a kick to my attacker's stomach. A loud groan sounded as I whipped my head around to face him. Professor stood before me, clutching his stomach and bent over slightly.

“Professor!” I gasped, feeling my fighting instincts decrease. “I have told you before. Do not surprise me like that or I will hurt you.”

“Allow me to express my apologies.” He grunted, still cradling his rather plump belly.

I feel myself soften. “I am sorry, Professor.” Then a thought struck me. “Wait, why are you here? How are you here?”

“Caspian freed me from my cell and told me to meet him here.” He sucked in a dramatic gulp of air. “But I fear he might be in grave danger.”

“Yes, I think that is perfectly clear. Do you know that he is planning on taking over the castle?” I quickly run over to the weapons area to grab a few supplies that might prove useful. “And… I think I met High King Peter and Queen Susan of Narnia. At least that is who they claimed to be.”

I looked back to the Professor and found him looking at me wide-eyed and pale. “The Kings and Queens of Old? Here?”

I hesitated. “I do not know for sure. They certainly do not look or sound like they are from Telmar. Peter has yellow hair. And their speech… Can they really be the characters from the stories you told me as a child? Please, tell me you know what is going on, because I am lost.”

With that, there was a loud bang on the stable door, followed by a series of grunts. There was no time for explanations; the soldiers were just outside the door. I directed Professor up to the loft, where we kept most of the hay we fed to the horses. Keeping him out of harm's way was the primary objective for me. “Stay here and keep low.” I commanded, holding up a crossbow. “Do you know how to work one of these?”

But I see that he is not paying attention to me. Instead, he is looking out the small sliver of a window that looks out into the courtyard. I get closer to follow his gaze and what I see is what can only be described as breathtaking.

Peter, Caspian, and Susan are manually lifting the gate, as dozens and dozens of creatures burst through and pour into the courtyard. Creatures of all sizes and species. Centaurs, dwarves, mice, minotaurs. They were all running, screaming battle cries and waving weapons of various sizes around. “For Narnia!” I heard Peter shout, as he drew his sword and joined his army. Susan and Caspian follow close behind. As the creatures filled the courtyard, I heard Professor gape, “By the Lion.”

I watch in utter amazement at the scene before me. These creatures were supposed to be fairytales, characters in books or in one of Professor's stories. But here they were. Living, breathing Narnians, fighting with their ever-famous conviction. I saw as Peter sliced through several Telmarine soldiers with an intensity that could not be matched. Susan firing her arrows in rapid succession, sometimes using her bow to knock out her opponent. Caspian, fighting with the same passion I had seen in him ever since he was a young boy, fought his fellow Telmarines with his sword. A certain sense of pride washed over me as I watched him use all of his skills. Then I thought of something. Why am I not upset to see these fictional characters slaughter the soldiers that I have grown up with? Should I not be angry or sad? Instead, I felt nothing. I was beginning to wonder if I ever was truly a Telmarine.

My thoughts were cut short by the sound of the stable doors bursting open. I duck down into the hay, pushing Professor down with me.

“We know you are in here, My Lady Aurina,” one of the soldiers called with false respect. “There is no use in hiding.”

I dared to peek over the stacks of hay to see five soldiers looking around with their swords drawn. A bit of a challenge, but nothing that I could not handle. I lowered myself down, signaling to the Professor to stay put and use the crossbow if necessary. Then, I launched myself over the bales of hay, and flipped expertly to the ground, pulling out my sword in the process. As I land, I drove my sword into the nearest soldiers back, hearing him scream in pain. The scream caused the other soldiers to look my way, to which I greeted them with a smile.

“Hello, boys.” I said, pulling out on of my daggers from my dress, and threw it expertly at one of the other soldier’s throat. As it sailed through the air, I pulled my sword out of the soldier it was in and swung it around to meet another man's sword. The dagger plunged into a soldier's neck, as I started to expertly fight the three remaining men. It was strange to be actually fighting these men. Before, we would only fight for drills and practice. Now, we all have the intent to actually wound or kill each other. However, I did not let it phase me. I pushed down all of my emotions and used my father's sword training to the best of my ability.

As I battled the three men, dodging this sword and throwing a punch to that soldier, I heard a light whizz pass just an inch from my ear. The soldier in front of me clutched his throat as an arrow sunk into his skin. I follow the path of the arrow and look up to Professor, who is shakily holding the crossbow. “Professor!” I scolded him, kicking a soldier in the face.

“I am sorry, but I do not know how to handle this.” Professor stuttered, clearly not used to battle.

“Then here is a hint. Do not point it at me.” I spun quickly, flinging my sword out in order to cut the soldier I was fighting. By the sound of the yelp he emitted, I had done as I had planned. I had cut the soldier on his strong arm, making it easy to take the moment to run my sword through his chest.

He fell with a scream, just as the last soldier left yelled while thrusting his sword towards me. I expertly spun out of the way while connecting my sword with his. Upon looking at him, I recognized him as Molloro, one of the most egotistical soldiers in the Telmarine army. I remember he was the one of the first men my father had paired me with to practice my skills. He had made a big show about him fighting a little girl, but walked away with a bruised shoulder and ego. However, this time Morollo's ego was not the only thing that had improved over time. His skills were much more advanced and precise. It took a little while for me to adjust my thrusts and parries to him. In any other situation, I might have been impressed. But I was fighting for my life so that could wait.

The feeling of my sword leaving my hand brought me back to reality. It appeared that he had taken my moment of thought and used it against me to swipe my weapon out of reach and across the floor. Before I could move to reach it, he pointed his sword dangerously close to my neck with a crooked smile. “So ends the great Philipanol bloodline.”

As I strategized my next move, Morollo gasped loudly. I looked and saw that a bloody point of a sword was sticking out of his chest. As suddenly as it came, it disappeared back into his chest, causing the man to scream in pain and fall forward flat on his face. In doing so, it was revealed that Caspian was his killer, and he was looking at me with teasing eyes.

“Are you ill, my dear Aurina?” He asked, with mock sincerity. “How could you let him corner you like that?”

I rolled my eyes. “I was not helpless, thank you. I had it handled.” I went to retrieve my sword as Caspian put his back in its sheath.

“A simple thank you would suffice.” I could see the pride swell up in his eyes. But then something caught my eye behind him. Without even blinking, I withdrew a small dagger hidden within my tunic and threw it just a few feet from Caspian's ear. It hit a recovered soldier directly in the neck, making him fall dead instantly.

I let Caspian have a few moments of amazement before saying, “You missed one.”

At that time, Professor came walking over with two horses. “If you children are done playing, I believe we were escaping.” Caspian and I exchanged glances before going over to the horses. Caspian grabbed my horse, Aria, but insisted that Peter ride her. I was reluctant at first, but agreed to ride with Caspian, thinking that three horses would be enough to take care of on the run.

After mounting the horses, we rode out of the stables and into the courtyard. We were greeted by the sounds of war. Men screaming in pain, the clashing of swords, various battle cries. It was a scene to behold. I looked above to the balcony of Miraz's room, where he stood with General Glozelle. His archers were lined around the courtyard from above, poised into position and ready to fire at the Narnians below. Our eyes met for the briefest instant, his eyes hooded with evil purposes. “We need to go. Now.” I whispered to Caspian. He nodded and kicked the horse in the side, signaling for him to run. As we gained speed, I saw that Caspian was still holding onto Aria's reigns, Peter running alongside her. I watched in amazement as he kicked a soldier and leapt onto her back in one instant.

My amazement was cut short, for I heard the familiar ring of arrows flying through the air. The archers were firing at us. “Keep your head down.” I told Caspian, grasping him around the waist, shielding his body with my own. If any arrow were to hit us, they would hit me first. We dashed for the gate, which was being held up by a Minotaur who seemed to be growing weaker by the second. Many Narnians rushed for the gate; Caspian, Peter, Professor, and I barely made it through before the Minotaur collapsed with a sickening thud.

We stopped and turned, to see at least thirty Narnians trapped on the other side of the gate. Sharp sounds of arrows still filled the air, followed by the sporadic cry in pain. There would be no rescuing them without risking our own lives. Peter seemed the most distraught. He looked back on his small surviving group with the most pained look in his eye. It was as though he felt every arrow that pierced his fellow soldiers. As he turned to back to his fallen soldiers, I heard a low crunch below our feet.

“Peter, the bridge!” I shouted. The drawbridge was rising up, and Peter was just on the edge of the ground. If he did not move, he would join his fellow soldiers on the other side of the gate. He realized this, as he kicked Aria, making her leap into a gallop. The bridge was steadily getting higher and higher, but he managed to get Aria up the ramp and jump down to the solid ground, as I held my breath watching them fly through the air. Once Peter landed safely, we all turned and sped off into the night. Even as we travelled further from the castle, and over the pounding of hooves, I clutched to Caspian tightly, focusing on what lied ahead of us.

We kept riding further and further, until we were out of the village. No one slowed down or looked behind us. I looked forward to see where the group was headed and heard a gasp escape me. We were heading for the Haunted Woods.


	10. Chapter 9

No one spoke. As if my senses were not heightened from being in the one place I was always told never to go, but with the solemnness that fell over the survivors of the raid grew to be much more eerie than anything that the Haunted Woods might present. I still hung onto Caspian, even as we slowed down. I was no longer clutching him like I was back at the castle, but I felt maybe I could bring some comfort to him by reminding him that I was there.

Soon, we stopped to water the horses. Even as people stretched and counted what supplies they had left, there were hardly any words spoken. Caspian dismounted first and helped me down. "Are you alright?" I asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the quietness of the woods. He did not answer. He hardly looked at me. Instead, he led Destrier to the small creek. On his face, I could see the same expression he had when his father died. This was an all too familiar situation for me.

Looking around at the group, I saw Peter lead his horse to the creek, only to sit down by the creek and look off in the distance. Susan saw him sit, and hesitantly went over to him. The moment she gently placed a hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it off and stomped away. Susan appeared to look apologetic and helpless. Something that I echoed. So, I decided to go to her.

When I got close enough, she lifted her head and gave a stiff smile. Then, we both struggled to find our next words. Now that I had come to terms with who she really was, I was now at a state of awe. She was the real Queen Susan, the one from the stories I was told as a child. Things were so different now. Finally, I could no longer stand the silence. "I'm sorry that things did not go as you had hoped."

She shrugged looking at the ground. "It wasn't really my plan anyway. Peter-" In the middle of her sentence, she stared off in the direction Peter had gone, and saw him standing by a tree, far away from the group.

"Will he be alright?" I asked.

"I sure hope so.”

Again, as we journeyed further in the woods, no one made a sound. It was like being a funeral procession. Some of the soldiers were injured, including one red-haired dwarf, so I offered them Peter or Caspian’s horse, since neither of them wanted to ride anymore. So, Professor, Susan, Caspian, Peter, and I all walked in front of the group. I had tried to talk to Caspian several times, but he never indicated that he could even hear me. At last, Professor grabbed my arm and gave me the motion to let him be. I sighed as I realized that he was right.

Soon, we reached a clearing. On the opposite side of the clearing stood a ruin of sorts. It looked to be older than the woods themselves. Green moss and grass covered the stone ruins. As we continued walking, we seemed to be heading towards the ruins. The closer we got, I could see more stone structures that have fallen to the ground, as if it had survived an ancient war. More creatures appeared out of the opening of the giant ruins, many of which I had only seen in illustrations from Professor's books. Centaurs, minotaurs, dwarves. And they only seemed to keep coming until at last a small girl came running out of the opening. I recognized her instantly. She shared the same face as Susan, and the same eyes as Peter. She had to be Queen Lucy. Her face twisted in concern upon seeing our small group arrive. "What happened?" She asked softly.

"Ask him." Peter spat, nodding towards Caspian.

"Peter." Susan scolded. I stood behind them and saw Caspian stop in his tracks and stare at Peter.

"Me?" He asked. "You could have called it off. There was still time." By this time, the whole procession had stopped, as the tension in the air rose.

Peter started to walk towards Caspian. "No, there wasn't, thanks to you." Peter stuck his finger in Caspian's face. "If you had just stuck to the plan, those soldiers might be alive right now." He turned to walk away.

But Caspian was not about to let the conversation finish like that. "And if we had just stayed here, like I suggested, then they definitely would be." He said, raising his voice slightly.

"You called us, remember?" Peter said, facing him once again.

"My first mistake." Caspian said.

"Caspian." It was my turn to scold him. I agreed that Peter was overreacting slightly, but he did not deserve for Caspian to treat him like this.

"No," Peter laughed bitterly. "Your first mistake was thinking that you could lead these people." Again, he walked away.

"Hey!" Caspian shouted. Everyone seemed to take a step back by this outburst. Even Peter stopped in his tracks to face him. I had never heard Caspian shout like that in his whole life. At that moment, I was terrified of him. "I am not the one who abandoned Narnia." 

"You invaded Narnia." Peter accused, pointing his finger at him again. Caspian pushed past him. But Peter was not done. "You have no more right to be here than Miraz does. You, him, your father." Caspian stopped. I could almost see his anger rise. "Narnia is better off with the lot of you!"

Caspian screamed and took out his sword. Peter drew his sword as well. I had had enough of this. I ran in between the two of them.

"Stop it!" I yelled. But another voice shouted at the same time I did. We all turned to see a young man, who I assumed was King Edmund, judging by having the same face as Peter. He was carrying the red-haired dwarf, who appeared to be lifeless. Lucy ran past Peter, Caspian, and I and towards the dwarf, as Edmund set the dwarf on the ground. I followed her, quickly forgetting about the two men with the swords.

She knelt by the dwarf's side and reached for something attached to her hip. I watched as she produced what looked like a vial filled with some sort of fluid and poured a single drop into the dwarf's mouth. _Could that be the juice of the fireflower?_ A moment passed then the dwarf coughed and squirmed, showing signs of life. He opened his eyes and looked at everyone crowded around him. I looked back towards Peter and Caspian again, hoping that they had realized how childish they had behaved. Caspian rolled his eyes and walked to the ruins, while Peter refused to make eye contact with me.

"What are you all standing around for?" He said gruffly. "The Telmarines will be here soon enough." We all looked around at each other and went to the ruins. I stooped to help the dwarf up. "Thank you." He called to Lucy. "My dear little friend." Lucy smiled brightly and helped me lift the dwarf to his feet.

"Was that the juice of the fireflower?" I asked Lucy, no longer able to hold back my curiosity.

"Yes," She nodded, and smiled. "Who are you?"

"Oh, I am Aurina, your Grace." I said, bowing slightly but also feeling sort of silly for doing so. "I am a friend of Caspian's."

"Please," She waved her hand dismissively. "I never much cared for all that formality. Just call me Lucy."

"As you wish." I replied. We walked towards the ruins, as she let me hold her vial of precious juice. I cradled it in my hands as if it were fine jewelry. "This is the most powerful medicine of all." I gawked. "They say that one drop could cure any injury. I have only heard stories, but never imagined it to be true."

"Are you interested in medicine?" Lucy asked.

I blushed. "I am only a novice. My mother was the true healer." My voice dropped off, for we had entered the ruins, only to enter a massive room, filled with Narnian creatures. They were all either sharpening, gathering, or even making their own weapons. It was an amazing sight. "What is this place?" I asked in wonderment.

"This is Aslan's How." Lucy replied.

My head spun. A few days before that, if you had told me that I would be standing in Aslan's How, in the middle of centaurs and minotaurs, and conversing with the Kings and Queens of Old, I might have slain you with my sword. I was standing in the very spot Narnians had built to honor Aslan. Every story Professor ever told me was standing right in front of me. It was such an overwhelming sensation. "This is... impossible." I said out loud.

"I've learned to believe in the impossible." Lucy said. "Come on, I'll show you around."

On our small tour of meeting all kinds of Narnian creatures, I saw Peter, sitting alone fiddling with his sword. He looked solemn and angry. I excused myself from Lucy and went over to him. "Are you alright?" I asked, not at all concerned if he was or not.

Peter looked up at me, the flame of his previous argument still lit in his blue eyes. "I'm fine." He said through clenched teeth.

"Good. Then you can explain yourself." I spat.

"I really don't want to go into it. Especially not with the likes of you." He replied, standing up as if he were to walk away.

But he failed to recognize the anger I had in me. I grabbed his arm, forcing him to stand still. "Not with the likes of me?" I exclaimed. "Is it because I am a Telmarine or a woman? I assure you, that you would not be alive if I was loyal to Miraz. I certainly would not be here if I was loyal to Miraz. You have been nothing but cross with me ever since we escaped from that castle, and now you are placing your frustrations on others."

"I am not the one you should be angry with. Caspian is the one-" Peter dared to look me straight in the eye. He was brave, even I had to admit that, but he was foolish.

"I am angry with both you and Caspian. You two are supposed to be leaders. And instead of leading, you are bickering amongst yourselves like children." Some part of me wanted to go easy on him, since he was after all, a king and a stranger. But at that point, I could not have diminished my anger if I had wanted to. Peter opened his mouth, but I held up my finger to quiet him. "No, you are not to speak right now."

"I am the High King of Narnia." He stated with venom in his voice. "You do not tell me to be silent."

He looked at me as if he expected me to back down. I did not. I only stared deeper into his eyes. "I am not telling you to be silent. I am telling you to act like a man. Because, right now, I do not see a man, nor a king. I see a spoiled child who is angry that his plans failed." He rolled his eyes and took a step back, running his fingers through his blonde hair. "The ‘Great High King of Narnia’. Ha, it appears as though the stories are fictional. The King they wrote legends about would have never behaved in such a way. No, the ‘Great High King of Narnia’ would have understood that when you are a king, no matter what happens or who truly is to blame, you are always at fault."

“So that's it, then?” He exclaimed, gesturing wildly. “I'm supposed to sit here and just accept the fact-”

“I am not finished!” I yelled so loud that many of the Narnians around us stopped and looked at the two of us. I stuck my face into his, so he could see the anger in my eyes. “Being a king is a big responsibility, no one is denying that. The truth is anyone could be king. Any man can sit on a chair and wear a silly crown on their head and call themselves a ruler. But what makes a true king, what separates the greats from the mediocre, is the ability to admit their mistakes and try to better themselves. What happened at that castle was a tragedy; there is no denying that. But we cannot keep dwelling on it because as right now we are at war. Right now, your people are looking to you for leadership. And right now, is when you get to decide what kind of king you actually are. Are you a child? Or are you the man that these people need you to be? For their sake, I truly hope you make the wise decision.” With that, I turned on my heels and walked away.


	11. Chapter 10

I did not have a specific destination in mind when I angrily walked away from Peter, but luckily, I did not have to figure it out. Professor caught my arm as I walked past him. Truthfully, I was so upset that I did not see him at first, so when he grabbed me, I was slightly startled.

“Aurina,” He said. “Why were you just yelling at the High King of Narnia?”

I snorted bitterly. “High King. He certainly thinks of himself as a High King, but he is no king of mine!” I tried to walk away from him, but Professor held firm on my arm.

“You are not in a position to be yelling at him.” He scolded. “And he is your king, unless you want to claim Miraz as king.”

“Caspian is my king, Professor. Although, I do admit that I am not happy with him at the moment either.”

Professor rolled his eyes. “My dear, you must practice patience with these men. It is a man's way to be angry. You, however, have a chance to change that. You must show them patience and respect.”

“I show no one respect unless they deserve it, king or not.” I sighed heavily. “I cannot stay silent when they behave like children. You know that. They are supposed to be the leaders, the ones whom we all look up to, and yet they act immature and childish.”

“What is one of the most important lessons that I ever taught you?”

Again, I sighed, but it was my turn to roll my eyes. “To remain enduring and give people second chances.” I recited, recalling all of the times he had forced me to repeat those words.

"Precisely, and you of all people know how much Caspian needs your patience right now." I let out a hot breath, cooling myself down as he continued. "He has just been handed this large amount of responsibility without any warning. Did you really expect him to do so without any mistakes? My dear, he is learning. But he needs your wisdom to help guide him."

"And what of Peter? He was King long before I was born. He should not be so childish."

"Perhaps he forgot what being a true leader is. Perhaps the reason why you are here is to remind him."

“So, now it is my job to remind the High King of Narnia his role in society? If you recall, Professor, less than a week ago, he was a fairytale in a children’s story. Now, here he is, the legend himself, and he is nothing like how the stories portray him. And Caspian is not some fragile flower. He does not need my help. Why does it fall to me to be the wise and guiding person?”

“Because you are one of the only people that can get through to them. You are a strong presence, Aurina, although sometimes your strength can be a hinderance. But you can get people to listen to you. And right now, my dear, they need someone to guide them.”

Again, I sighed. "Then where is Caspian? If I am to be a guiding light for him, I should at least be able to locate him."

Professor grinned. "I think he went down that tunnel." He gestured to the far-left side of the How, which showed a hallowed opening with flickering torch light coming from inside the tunnel. I walked toward with determination but as I neared it, a haunting feeling swept over me. My feet stopped at the mouth of the tunnel as I stared into it. Something called me to it, a presence that was completely unfamiliar.

“It leads to the Stone Table.” I turned my head to see where the voice had come from. Lucy walked slowly towards me. She might have been the youngest, but I’ll always remember the way she carried herself. Like a queen. “Not exactly filled with happy memories.” She joked.

“It is real?” I asked. It seemed like a rather ridiculous question, after all I had experienced, but I suppose I was still coming to terms with the reality.

Lucy nodded. “It looks different since the last time I was here. But it is every bit as powerful. I think some of Aslan’s magic still lingers.”

As I stood at the mouth of the cave, I kept feeling that presence pulling me into the tunnel. “I think I feel it.”

“Then, go to Him.” She encouraged. I hesitated for a split second. “Oh, and by the way,” She added, as I tore my gaze from the tunnel to the Queen. “Don’t let my annoying big brother bother you too much. He really is a great person once you know him. He just can be stubborn as mule sometimes.” She offered her signature sweet smile, and I could not help but smile back. I turned my attention back towards the tunnel, and entered it.

It seems funny, but the air was different in the tunnel. There was a certain reverence and power that was almost tangible. My footsteps were quiet as I journeyed through, and my eyes glanced at the walls. Along the walls were paintings of the story of the Kings and Queens of Old. Paintings of Tumnus, the faun who aided and befriended Lucy when she first arrived in Narnia, the White Witch enticing Edmund with sweets, King Peter’s charge into battle with the White Witch, all four of them standing at Cair Paravel next to their thrones. Even though they were paintings, I almost felt as though I were watching their story unfold before my very eyes. My eyes lingered on the image of Peter in battle. Was there really a time when he was the great and noble High King? What was he really like back then? And why did he leave if he was so great?

Suddenly, a snarl echoed throughout the tunnel. The air suddenly turned to something much more threatening. Instinctively, I reached for my dagger attached to my hip, but did not remove it from its sheath. I did not want the metal sound to tip off the potential danger. I started to stalk slowly towards where the snarl seemed to have come from. With each footstep, I could begin to hear voices more clearly. There was more than one for sure. One was low and gruff. That voice was doing most of the talking. Finally, I neared a sharp turn in the tunnel. I pressed my back to the cold wall and poked my head around the corner.

I saw a room with a high and vaulted ceiling. On the walls were carvings of Aslan, the Great Lion whom this whole fortress was dedicated to. Fire from the torches lit up the room enough for me to see the Stone Table in the middle of the room. It was cracked in half as if a giant had stepped on it. Some markings were on written on the sides, which I assumed to be ancient Narnian. However, it was not the Great Stone table that caught my eye. It was the four figures behind it. One dwarf I recognized from the journey back from the castle, whose name was Nikabrik, stood on a landing above them. Caspian stood in the middle, sword drawn and pointing between the others. Stalking around him, like wolves about to attack, were two hooded figures. They kept their bodies hunched over as if they had been punched in the gut. I wanted to help him, but I was stuck in my hiding spot, some unseen force keeping me in place. The voice that I had heard was still talking. As he spoke, my stomach ached in fear.

“…I can drink a river of blood and not burst. Show… me… YOUR ENEMIES!” As he yelled, he uncovered his head revealing a lot of hair. He appeared to be a wolverine. I saw Caspian flinch, but he did not lower his sword. Fear overtook me. Normally, I would have gone to Caspian’s rescue without even thinking. But the cold air around me push my feet to the ground where I stood. And forced me to watch.

The second figure uncovered her head to reveal a pink and wrinkly head. Her mouth was a beak like a bird, but her body was old, pink, and wrinkly like an underground creature of sorts. When she finally spoke, it sounded like metal scrapping against each other. “What you hate, so will we.” She said. “No one hates better than us.”

Caspian’s sword dropped slightly. “And you can guarantee Miraz’s death?” He asked slowly. My mind raced. What was going on? What sort of stupid thing was he getting himself into?

The wrinkled woman bowed her head in mock reverence. “And more.” She confirmed.

As I saw Caspian put his sword back in its scabbard, I felt an overwhelming sense of anger. But instead of going to confront him, the evil in the room held me still. “Let the circle be drawn.” The woman announced, as she and the wolverine bent over even more. The dwarf Nikabrik walked down towards the wolverine and kept his eye on Caspian the whole time, much like a lion eyeing its prey. The wolverine and the woman slowly drew a circle on the ground around Caspian, while the woman was chanting some incantation in a language I did not recognize. But as she spoke, terror filled the room like water. Caspian was simply standing, watching the two draw the circles around him. The temperature in the air dropped further, a wintery chill surrounded with me.

Suddenly, the woman reached into her cloak and pulled out a scepter that I did not recognize. It was silver and glistened in the torchlight. Her words became more intense and loud. Until finally, she slammed the scepter down on the landing where Nikabrik was standing earlier with a grunt. The minute she did, I suddenly felt caught in a winter storm even though it was in the middle of summer. There were two pillars on the side of the steps leading up to a landing, forming an arch of sorts. Within that arch, ice was forming and growing from the scepter until it reached the very top of the arch. There was now a wall of ice.

Within the wall of ice, there seemed to be movement, as if the wall was actually a window. Someone was coming towards us. Everyone stood still as the figure became clearer and clearer. Once the figure got close enough to see, there was no mistaking who it was. Every instinct I had was on high alert. The figure in the wall of ice was the White Witch herself.

With a sudden burst of energy, I ran from my hiding spot back down the tunnel the way I came. There was no way I would be facing the White Witch alone. Even I was not that good of a fighter.

As soon as I reached the mouth, I yelled, “Help!” My lungs on fire from the running and fear.

Peter and Edmund were close by and ran towards me. “What is it? What’s wrong?” They asked simultaneously.

“Caspian…” I gasped. For the first time in my life, I was a loss for words. I struggled to regulate my breathing. “He needs help…. The White Witch.”

I saw something in Peter snap. “Say no more.” He ran towards the tunnel, hand on grabbing for his sword. Edmund and the red dwarf ran after him, as I stood for a moment trying to catch my breath. I felt a hand touch my arm.

“What’s going on?” Susan asked, worry contorting her otherwise beautiful face.

“Caspian, he’s in danger. It’s the White Witch.” I told her.

More worry washed over her. “I have to go.” She said.

“No.” I grabbed her arm. “Someone has to stay behind to keep everyone calm.” I gestured towards the crowd of Narnians forming around us.

“I’m not going to stand by and watch my brothers fight the White Witch. Not again.”

“These people will listen to you. They need to be reassured that they are safe.” I encouraged.

“Lucy can do it.” Susan said, looking around for her sister. She froze solid. “Where is Lucy?” Professor, who had come up behind me, pointed towards the tunnel. This time, Susan did not even blink. She ran into the tunnel like a flash of lightning.

“Professor, I have to go after them. Make sure everyone stays calm.” I called as I ran after her. Caspian was in danger and I was not about to abandon him.

I stayed close behind Susan, flying past the marvelous paintings I gawked at earlier. Some part of me wondered if this place would also be where Caspian would die.

We rounded the corner to find that Peter now stood in the middle of the circle. The White Witch had her hand outstretched to him. She was reaching through a hole in the ice wall. Caspian was on the ground holding his hand. Susan and I were stuck in place, however, as we saw the Witch coax Peter.

“You know you can’t do this on your own.” She said slyly.

Peter, who had his sword drawn and pointed at her, seemed to pause. His shoulders seem to relax, followed by him lowering his sword slowly. Disappointment and anger arose in me. The second time I was disappointed in him.

All of a sudden, a crack formed at the Witch’s waist. She pulled back as the ice around her cracked. Before it completely shattered, she let out an earth-shattering scream, and the ice exploded like glass. Everyone ducked and covered their heads as a reaction. The chill in the air disappeared and warmth filled the room once again.

When we lifted our head again to see what had happened we saw Edmund holding his sword up. It appeared he had snuck up behind the wall of ice and put his sword through it, causing the breakage. “I know,” Edmund nodded towards Peter and lowering his sword. “You had it sorted.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the red dwarf aiding Lucy, who seemed to cradling her right arm. Anger rose in me again. To see such a sweet girl hurt because of Peter and Caspian was almost too much to bear. I glanced towards Peter and Caspian to find them both looking between me and Susan. Caspian’s eyes lingered on Susan, and actively avoided my gaze. He knew better. Peter, however, looked directly at me, perhaps indicating some remorse. I shook my head and walked toward Lucy, deliberately turning my back to them.

“Do not worry, Lucy. I can give you something to manage the pain.” I told her softly. The red dwarf and I accompanied Lucy out of the tunnel, leaving Peter and Caspian to think on their mistakes.


	12. Chapter 11

“Does it hurt now?” I asked Lucy, as I gently move her right arm in a different way.

“No.” She replied, flinching ever so slightly. I pretended not to see however. I admired her strength.

I let go of her arm and knelt down to fetch my bag of herbs. “You should be happy to know that your arm is merely bruised. You will feel some pain in your arm until it fully heals, but not too worry. I have a special trick to help manage the pain.”

“Thanks, but…” She reached for a flap on her belt. What she pulled out made me want to scream in excitement.

“You cannot use that.” I gawked, looking at it like it was a lost treasure. Of course, to me, it was.

“I’ll just give myself a drop, then we won’t have to worry about it.” Lucy reached to remove the lid, but I stopped her hand. 

I stared at it as she held it in her small hands. In all of my years of studying herbs and cures for illnesses, this was the most priceless thing a healer could want. “My mother taught me everything she knew about medicine.” I explained to Lucy. “She kept a book full of different recipes, as she called them. Which plant could help which ailment, and all sorts of tricks. She became so proficient at it, that she became the official healer for the Telmarine army. That’s how she met my father. He was wounded in battle, and she tended to his wounds. It wasn’t long until they married and had me. Eventually, my mother… grew ill. She became so weak that she could no longer care for herself, so I had to care for her. She gave me her book.” I reached into my bag, and pulled out the old and tattered book from my bag. “I poured over every page of this, searching for a cure for my mother. But everything I tried would only slightly help. Nothing cured her. That’s when she told me of this.” Now I turned my attention back to the vial. “The juice of the fireflower would have surely cured my mother of her illness. I knew I had to find it. For her. And that is what I decided to do. I poured over every piece of writing I could find, trying to locate the fireflower. But I could never find it. It was… almost like the flower itself was a fairytale.”

Lucy’s hand gently touched my shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Aurina. That must have been awful.”

I nodded slightly. “I gave up on finding the fireflower after she died. Although, I did try and research it from time to time, I always came up empty. And here you are, carrying it around like an accessory.”

“I didn’t mean to offend you.” She said, looking down at the vial.

“No, no.” I shook my head. “I did not mean it like that. I merely meant that I could not believe such a precious thing that I have been searching for all this time was hidden among stories told to me as a child.” I looked her in the eye. “I cannot let you use this on a bruise, Lucy.”

She nodded. “Alright. We’ll try it your way.” I then produced a small flask.

“This will taste rather bitter, but it will help with the pain.” I handed her the flask and she took a large gulp. “Careful! Too much of this will cause your muscles to lock.”

“Urgh.” She made a face of disgust as she handed me the flask. “What is in that?”

“Perhaps it is better if you do not know.” I smiled, putting the lid back on.

“You alright, Lu?” A gentle voice asked from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Peter standing there, the first time I had seen a look of concern on his face. Upon meeting his glance, I immediately looked away and down towards my bag.

“Yes. It’s just a bruise. Aurina is taking very good care of me.” Lucy replied with a smile.

“That’s very kind of her.” He said. The anger I had heard in voice from our argument was gone. What remained was a gentility that I had yet to hear from him. “Thank you, Lady Aurina.”

I was not ready to forgive him yet. Calling me ‘lady’ was not a good start to get on my good side. Rolling my eyes, “Do not call me ‘lady’.” I said curtly.

“I’m sorry.” He said. “Really, I am.” The emphasis in his voice made it clear that he was not just apologize for calling me ‘lady’.

I stood up and threw my bag over my shoulder. I turned to face him in the eye with an eyebrow raised. “I must go tend to Caspian.” Meeting his eyes was a mistake. The deep blue abyss that lied beneath the surface was enticing. The sadness he showed was almost enough to make me break. But I did not. Instead, I set my jaw and walked away, leaving both Lucy and Peter alone.

I found Caspian sitting on a ledge outside the How. A portion of rock jutted out where grass and a singular tree were growing. It was almost like a natural balcony, as it looked down on the large opening of the wood from where we entered. With the ripe green colors and the crisp summer smell in the air, it would have been a beautiful sight. But Caspian sat with his head bowed and his feet dangling off the edge. My anger that I felt towards him before was gone now. I looked at him and saw the boy I knew and loved and grew up with. I saw my friend.

“It is quite beautiful out here.” I said, walking towards him. He turned to face me. I saw that the reason why his head was bowed was because he was wrapping a large cut on his hand with an old cloth, which he tried to keep out of my sight. “What did you do this time?” I scolded.

I walked toward him and sat next to him, placing my bag in between us. “It was the dwarf Nikabrik.” He spoke softly. “Apparently, the White Witch wanted my blood so she could become queen again.” His voice trailed off with the wind.

I took hold of his hand to examine it, unwrapping the cloth from the hand. “Well, if we do not clean this wound, it will become irritated. Turn towards me.” He obeyed and I got to work on mending the cut on his hand. It appeared to be a clean gash from a blade. Not to terrible to treat.

Silence fell between us for a moment as I concentrated on his wound. Then he broke the silence with, “You were right all along, you know.”

This made me stop and look up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Miraz did kill my father.” He said. “Everything you have ever suspected about him… I should have listened to you.” Silence came again as we both processed this information in different ways.

“I had hoped that I was wrong.” I offered weakly.

The corners of this mouth turned up ever so slightly as he shook his head. “No, you did not.”

“Yes, I did.” I insisted, biting my tongue from arguing with him further. Now was not the time to argue. “I am sorry, though. I loved your father dearly.”

Caspian turned his gaze out to the clearing. “I think some part of me always knew you were right. I was not blind to the way Miraz behaved after my father’s death. I just always thought that I owed him something. That I had a duty to him because he was the only family that I had left.” I did not say anything for I wanted him to keep talking. “Back at the castle, I finally confronted him and he admitted it after I held a sword to his throat. It was then when I truly saw him for what he was. A tyrant, a murderer, an evil and conceited man only out to benefit himself.” As he spoke, anger started to boil within him.

I cupped his hand gently between my hands, in order to soothe him. I struggled to form my next question. “Is that why you sought after the White Witch?” I asked gently.

He tore his hand from mine, running his other hand through his hair with a gruff. “I did not mean to!” He exclaimed abruptly. “The dwarf followed me and told he wanted to help. He voiced all of my deepest and darkest thoughts, and I thought he was sympathizing. I did not know that he just wanted me for my blood.” Caspian took a breath and looked at the gash on his hand again. “Once she spoke…. I felt entranced. Everything within me was screaming, but her words had this… effect on me. I no longer felt like myself. Like my life no longer mattered.”

I was partly startled by his outburst. But it did not last long. My heart ached for him. Not only was he finally coping with his father’s death, but he had this enormous responsibility to be a leader, to be a king. Professor’s words came back to me. Perhaps I was meant to be a guiding light for him. I reached out and gently touched his shoulder. He turned and looked at me for a moment. The anger and burst of energy had fled from his brown eyes. Now, he looked tired and defeated. “What am I supposed to do, Aurina?” His voice was barely above a whisper. The smallest hint of a tear formed at the corners of his eyes.

My hand rubbed his shoulder affectionately. “I do not have all of the answers.” I replied. “None of us do. But I think the most important thing for you to do right now is to be a leader. Now, knowing the true nature of your father’s death, you might find some closure. But you cannot lead if you are emotional and angry like this. These people need someone who is strong.”

“Am I not supposed to show emotions ever? Must I always remain a statue?” He challenged, the anger slowly returning.

I shook my head patiently. “No, Caspian. I am saying that like or not, you are a leader. You represent this idea of freedom to all of these Narnians. That is why they are here.”

“They are here for their Kings and Queens.” He said.

“They are here for their freedom.” I insisted, thinking back to what Susan had told me in the woods. “Before you met up with the Kings and Queens, you were the one that rallied them together. You inspired them to fight and join your cause. And here they are. They need a strong leader and I believe with every ounce of my soul that you can be the greatest ruler of them all. But you must remember that you are not perfect. You must remember to look after yourself as well as your followers. So let yourself grieve now. Let yourself heal, so that you may take your pain and use it for the good of your people. That is what will make you a great ruler. Better yet, a great king.”

Again, Caspian met and held my gaze for a time. I had always seen the potential for greatness in him. I saw it every time I looked into his eyes. I could see royalty, honesty, and fairness. It was something that I had seen in his father’s eyes. Finally, I wrapped my arms around him in a tight embrace. We held this embrace, feeling each other’s hearts beat against our chest. We spoke a million words without opening our mouths once. Throughout all of the wild adventures that had transpired the last few days, I was glad to have him by my side. He was my best friend.

At last, we broke our embrace and gave each other a small smile. “Thank you, Aurina.” He said. “What would I do without you?”

I offered a bigger smile. “You will never have to find out.” This elicited a small chuckle from Caspian. “Come.” I reached for his hand. “Let us go wash your hands in the stream.” We both stood up and walked back into the How. There was a small stream off the sleeping quarters that some soldiers were using as a place to wash some of the weapons from the raid on the castle.

I instructed Caspian to wash his hands as I tried to search for a small bottle in my pack. When I looked back to him, I saw that his hand was floating limply in the stream. His gaze was off past my head. As I followed his gaze, I saw Susan helping collect the cleaned weapons and bring them to a minotaur, as they piled them on to a large wooden cart. Presumably to be sharpened for the next battle. Looking back at Caspian, I saw a new look in his eye that was unfamiliar to me. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of him being interested in a woman. A wicked thought then entered my head.

“Susan?” I called, getting her attention. She looked over at us, her eyes momentarily falling on Caspian before quickly looking away. “Would you mind providing me with some assistance?” I asked.

I felt Caspian’s hand on mine. I turned to see him giving me a glare of warning. I met his glare with an innocent smile.

“What do you need?” Susan asked as she neared us.

“I seem to have left some of my bandages with Lucy when I was helping her.” I explained. “Would you be willing to help Caspian put some of this ointment on his hand while I got fetch them?”

Susan hesitated, her eyes once again flicking towards Caspian. Even in the low torchlit room, a hint of red spread across her cheeks. “I could just as well get the bandages from Lucy.” She said weakly. I felt Caspian’s hand give my hand a squeeze. Yet another warning. But I was not about to let this go.

“Oh, that’s fine. I must check on her arm anyway. It’s a simple balm, no need to worry.” I wrenched my hand from Caspian’s grip and stood to hand the small bottle of ointment to Susan. “All you have to do is take a small portion of this and rub it on the cut. You don’t need much, just the size of a finger prick. It will sting a bit, but that means that it’s working. Let it dry for a few minutes and then wash it in the stream.”

“Really, I don’t think I-“ She stammered, her face turning a deeper shade of red.

“Nonsense. I have full confidence that you can handle this.” I insisted. I looked back at Caspian and flashed him another wicked smile. “I shall return with more bandages shortly.” With that, I left them both. Once I was a fair distance away, I turned back to see Susan gently applying the ointment to Caspian’s hand. Both of them avoiding eye contact. A small chuckle escaped me.

_“I knew you were conspiring against me.” The king chuckled._

_“Anyone with eyes could see how much you two were fond of each other.” Aurina joked. “Besides, it was punishment for how you behaved before then.”_

_The King smiled and looked down at the ground, seemingly lost in a memory he once had forgotten._

_“Please, continue Mother.” The boy said._

_“Just as impatient as his father.” Aurina remarked aloud._

_The King’s smile disappeared as he regarded his son. The boy thought the King was looking at on old familiar face rather than his son. “Then perhaps you should continue to the more important parts of the story.”_

I left Caspian and Susan to get better acquainted, and went off to explore the rest of the How. It was a really a wonderfully sound structure. It was almost hard to believe that it had not been there until the recent few hundred years. I recalled the stories that Professor told us as young children. Narnians built the How in order to honor Aslan and to hopefully entice the Kings and Queens of Old back to them. Every beam, room, and carving that decorated the walls made it seem as though they had carved out the inside of a mountain. But the Narnians had built this structure from the ground up. The only thing that was here before the How was the Stone Table.

My thoughts immediately turned back to the events that recently transpired at the exalted place. I recalled the horror and danger I had felt, but I also recalled the overall holiness that lingered in the air as I walked down that corridor. Due to the fact that there was an evil ceremony happening around it, I did not get a chance to revel in its beauty. Something drew me to it again. Some might say it was the Stone Table itself, the ancient Narnian magic calling to me. But I choose to believe it was mere curiosity.

Once again, I made my way down the corridor leading to the Stone Table, passing by the old cave paintings depicting the lives of the Kings and Queens of Old. This time I did not stop to ponder them. My destination was the Table. When I reached the large room once again, I noticed that there was no sign of the recent events. The ice wall that Edmund shattered as not there, not even a puddle. There was no blood anywhere despite the small battle that had ensued. Instead, the torches continued to burn on the walls, and there was a stillness in the air that cannot be described with words. Even though I had recently been in this room before, it suddenly felt like the first time I had ever truly laid eyes on everything. My eyes were fixated on the murals carved on the back wall. Behind the arch where an ice wall once stood, was a carving of the Great Lion himself, Aslan. He was sitting and staring out, almost peering into my soul. My feet did not seem to touch the ground. A sense of entrancement surrounded me like a blanket. It astounds me even today that a mere carving on a rock had grabbed me so.

The Stone Table was at the center. Cracked in half as if a giant had split it. Gently, I placed my hand on the Table, running my hand along the ancient Narnian text carved on the sides. Suddenly, a wave of emotion swept over me. Only a few days prior to that day, the Stone Table, Aslan, the Narnians, the Kings and Queens of Old were all fairy tales. Bedtime stories that Professor would tell us in secret. Now, I was actually touching and living this fairy tale. I took a deep breath and looked once again to the carving of Aslan on the back wall. Could all of this really be happening? Or is it just an elaborate dream or delusion?

“He’s a good listener, isn’t he?” A voice echoed in the open room, causing me to jump back slightly. I turned to face where the voice had come from, blinking a couple of times. Peter stood a few steps away from me, looking up at the Aslan carving. “Even when he’s not here, he still seems to be listening.”

“How long have you been standing there?” I asked, not quite out of my daze.

He shook his head. “Not long.” His pale blue eyes never left the wall. “I wish you could have known him. He was… the most caring, yet fierce lion. Whenever you were around him, you felt both safe and scared at the same time. It’s something that I haven’t felt around anyone else. Except…”

“Except who?” I pressed.

He paused for a bit. I feared that he almost didn’t hear me. But then he sighed deeply and finally looked at me. For a split second, I could feel my breath leave my body under his gaze. “If He were here, he would tell me to apologize to you. And he would be right. I acted like… well, you said it yourself. I wasn’t acting like a King. And for that, I am sorry, Aurina.”

I almost took a step backward from him. He did seem genuine, and I suddenly saw him in a new light. He wasn’t a stubborn arrogant man. He was a young boy searching for his purpose. “I apologize to you, too.” I found myself saying. “I think I was a bit harsh on you. And Caspian.”

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. “A bit harsh? I’m a stranger to you, and you scolded me like I was related to you.”

This time it was my turn to smile. Although, as I did, I could feel my cheeks warm slightly. That had never happened before. “I wish I could say that was a one-time occurrence. But something tells me that I will be scolding you again soon.”

Peter’s face lightened ever so slightly. In the dim torch light, I could see his defenses drop. I no longer saw the stubborn egotistical man I once saw. Instead, I saw the young boy who he truly was. He was searching. Exactly like Caspian.

“I will probably deserve it.” He nodded. After a slight pause, he looked me in the eye again. “I’ve never met someone as fearless as you, Aurina.” It took all of my concentration not to turn even redder. “You aren’t afraid to tell people what you think, and yet you are as devoted and loyal as any friend should be. I only wish I could be as you are.”

Tired of hearing the compliments, I said, “According to legend, that is the kind of King you are.”

His face fell slightly, and he stared at the ground. “You mean the King that I was.” He went and sat on one of the steps of the Stone Table, running a hand through his sun-like hair. “As odd as it is to say, I was much older back then. Things were so much different. Now, being back here and being as young as I am now, I guess… I’m just trying to get back to the King that I used to be.”

I regarded him carefully, as if he were a work of art with a hidden message. This man was unlike anything that I had previously thought. “If I may speak plainly…”

Another smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’d prefer it.”

After a pause, considering my words carefully, I continued. “You were King in a time of peace. Yes, you helped defeat the White Witch, but that was before you were coronated. By the time, you and your family sat on your thrones, Narnia was at peace. You ruled a peaceful nation. Now, the world has changed. We are no longer at peace. We live in a time of war and division. Therefore, you cannot be the King that you once were. You cannot be the King of Peace. Instead, you must learn to be the King of War.” 

Peter seemed to listen carefully to my words, even though he was not looking at me. Silence fell over us. For a while, I thought he would roll his eyes at me and tell that I was too bold with my words. Finally, he let out a sigh. “I don’t know if I can be the King of War. When this is all over, and we do happen to come out victorious, how can I lead a war-stricken world?”

“Caspian will take over as King, if we do win, that is. You do not have to put that burden on yourself. Instead, you could advise him. He is still new to all this, so he will need an advisor with experience.”

Now, Peter burrowed his eyebrows together. “Advisor? You mean, I would no longer be King?”

Confusion fell over my eyebrows then. “No, Peter. We are fighting to unite our two nations, not to keep them divided. If we win this war, Caspian will be King of Narnia and Telmar.”

“Where are you getting this idea from?” He asked, frustration rising in his voice. “Narnia and Telmar have been separate, but civil with each other for centuries. Why should that change now?”

“The division is where our problem lies.” I tried to maintain a calm voice. “The Telmarines see themselves above Narnians, so we must fight to unite them, in order to convey that all are equal.”

“So you’re saying that I am fighting to give someone else my crown?” His words hung in the air, like an arrow released from its bow but frozen in space.

I clenched my jaw tightly. “That is what this is about?” I challenged, ignoring my previous commitment to stay calm. “You think this is a war to restore your ego?!”

His pale blue eyes rolled again. “No, that’s not-“

“It is, isn’t it?” I cut him off. A bitter laugh escaped from my mouth. “And here I thought you genuinely cared for your people.”

“I do!” He insisted with so much certainty he stood up. “Who are you to say that I do not care about Narnia and its people? You are nothing but a Telmarine. You know nothing of Narnia, but I do. And I know that I can care for them better than anyone else.”

I stepped closer to him, my rage boiling beneath the surface. “I may be nothing but a Telmarine, but I know an egotistical fool when I see one. Oh, you can keep on telling yourself that you are only looking out for your people, but admit it, you are only in this for yourself.”

This time, Peter took a step towards me. His pale blue eyes now glowing like a torch. “How dare you…”

My rage did not falter, and neither did I. “You asked me to speak plainly and so I will. Pride is the downfall of weak-minded individuals. I know this because I have seen firsthand what can happen to a man who puts his pride before anything else. You were right before. You are a stranger to me, and yet, from where I stand, I see no difference between you and Miraz.”

I did not wait for a retort. Instead, I turned on my heels and walked back towards the tunnel, away from Peter. My head felt like the sun, my rage warming my body like a fire. Before I exited the room, I heard my name called from behind me. My feet stopped but I did not turn to face him. “I’m… I am trying, you know.” Peter said, his voice faltering ever so slightly. Though, I was not looking at him, I could tell that my words had hurt him. “I am trying my best to do what I think is best for everyone. For Narnia, for my family, everyone. Maybe I am going about this all wrong, but I am trying.”

A sense of sympathy cooled my body down. I could hear the desperation in his voice. It was true, he was searching. But unlike Caspian, he was not searching for guidance or confidence. He was searching purpose. Against my better judgement, I turned to look at him again. He stood between me and the Stone Table, his face crestfallen. Behind him, the looming and wise carving of Aslan looked down on us.

“Then perhaps you ought to ask Him for help.” I said softly, nodding towards Aslan. He turned his head to face the carving. “Perhaps what you are looking for has been in front of you all along.” Then, I turned and left the reverent room. I could feel Peter’s eyes on me as I disappeared into the tunnel, but I was not going to turn back this time. But even with my back to him, I felt my face redden again. I remember wondering why my face had a habit of doing that in his presence.


	13. Chapter 12

I sat myself down next to a bonfire. Earlier, the fire had been used to forge weapons, as evident by the stacks of swords and axes surrounding the fire. Someone announced that night had fallen, so the Narnian creatures forging the weapons went to go rest for the night. Being in a cavern such as the How, time seemed to stand still. And with all of the excitement of the day, I was not tired. Instead, I busied myself by grabbing a whetstone and started to sharpen the various weapons.

As I scratched away at the metal, I found myself thinking back to my father. He had been the one to show me how to sharpen a sword. He had been hard at work one day sharpening his sword, when he spotted me peering at him curiously around the corner. Smiling, he motioned for me to come closer, which I did with youthful giddiness. “The key to getting your sword very sharp,” He told me, as I sat on his lap. “Is to take your time. Slow and steady strokes. See?” As he explained he demonstrated, the high-pitched sound of metal accompanying his lesson. Eventually, he allowed me to sharpen weapons with him. As I grew older, that was how my father and I bonded. Most families talked and bonded over the dinner table. For my father and I, it was when we sharpened or fought with swords. He would tell me stories of his travels and the many battles he fought, and I would tell him the silly things Caspian and I had done to the various servants at the castle. I remember his laugh. It was a slow, deep laugh, as if he wished to savor every ounce joy each time he chuckled. Even now, as I sharpened the various Narnian weapons, I could hear my father’s laugh hidden behind the sound of scratching metal.

“Do you mind if I join you?” A voice brought me back to reality. I looked up and saw young Edmund standing before me. In the daylight, he did not look much like his brother. But I recall seeing him in the shadow of the bonfire, seeing flickers of Peter in him.

“Please.” I said, handing him a stone. “Are you not tired?”

He shrugged as he lowered himself to the ground a few feet from me. “I sometimes have trouble sleeping.” He explained. “Ever since we left this place, it’s sometimes hard for me to fall asleep.”

“I happen to have an herb that I could mix with some powder that might help you sleep.” I offered, gesturing to my pack on my hip.

Edmund waved a hand dismissively. “I’ll be alright. I’m used to it by now.”

We sat in silence for a while, only the sound of stone on metal and the occasional crackle of the fire.

“I feel like I need to apologize to you.” Edmund finally said, forcing me to stop my stone midstroke.

“What do you need to apologize for?”

“For everything really. We kind of caused a lot of problems for you and Caspian.”

I shook my head. “We had problems long before you came here. It was only a matter of time before things turned out the way they have.” My mind was brought back to the other night when the Narnians had attacked the Telmarine Castle. And how life had been so different not but two days ago.

“Well, then I apologize for my mule of a brother.” Edmund said. “He usually means well, but sometimes he can be very difficult to deal with.”

A hint of smile appeared on my face. “I think that might be an understatement.”

Another spell of silence fell over us. “He likes you, you know.” Edmund said, breaking the silence. I looked at him with bewilderment. “I know he has a funny way of showing it, but I can tell.”

Shaking my head again, I said, “I do not know what you mean.”

Edmund looked toward the fire as he spoke. “When we were younger, there was this girl who lived just down the road from us. Her name was Mary. Sometimes when we would be out playing she would come over and join us. At first, Peter and Mary argued all of the time. They both wanted to be the leader in the game we would play and they were both so stubborn about it that they would soon start hitting each other over it. Eventually, our mother had to come and separate them. I remember him telling me how much he hated Mary and how much of a ‘stupid girl’ she was. A few months after that, Susan and I were trying to find Peter, only to find him hiding in an old shed, kissing Mary. You should have seen how red his face got. He made us promise that we wouldn’t tell anyone, and eventually Mary moved away. In time, we all forgot about it.”

I had listened to his story with a fixed sense of confusion. “What are you trying to say, Edmund?”

He then turned and made eye contact with me. “I think Peter has found a new Mary.”

Before I could respond, a horn sounded from a sentry position. Both Edmund and I rose and ran towards the horn. The sentry was shouting something, but it was hard to make out exactly what he was saying with the echo of the How. Finally, we made it to an opening in the way that looked out onto the clearing in front of the How. A faun greeted us with a face twisted with concern. “Your Majesties,” He greeted, bowing slightly. I suppressed the urge to correct him in telling him that I wasn’t a noble. “Telmarines have been spotted just beyond the clearing.”

“How many are there?” Edmund asked.

The faun hesitated before answering. “At least ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand!” I exclaimed. Just as I said that, we saw movement on the edge of the clearing. Soldiers marching in a synchronized manner started to emerge from the trees, maintaining their tight formations. Even from far away, there was no mistaking the familiar glint of Telmarine armor.

“Awaken the How.” Edmund ordered to the faun, who bowed before quickly disappearing back into the How.

“Go get Caspian and Peter.” I told Edmund. “Hurry.”

This time, Edmund ran into the How. I stared out at the soldiers falling to their battle formations. The consistent tempo of their marching echoing across the expanse of the plain. My father helped develop this formation and the armor that the soldiers wore. And now they were poised and ready for action.

I could hear people come up behind me to take in the sight, but I did not acknowledge them. I felt Caspian come up on my right side, briefly looking over to me before looking out to the daunting and growing problem. Catapults started to emerge from the thick of the forest, strong towers looming over the soldiers like trees. These catapults were notorious for being effective Telmarine weapons. They helped win many battles, including when the Telmarines attacked Cair Paravel, the Narnian Castle where Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy once lived. Telmarines are very organized but they are also loyal to traditions and rules. According to Telmarine law, the army cannot be mobilized unless instructed by the King or Queen. And since Caspian was no longer in Telmar that left only one option.

The cavalry made their way to their battle formation, the horses dressed in black or dark silver armor. The last horse however was dressed in gold, including its rider. That had to have been Miraz. Telmarine law says that if the King or Queen of Telmar rides into battle they must be dressed in gold to distinguish themselves above the soldiers. If Miraz was wearing gold, that meant that he had somehow fulfilled his wish to be King. The golden rider stopped in front of the cavalry and the entire Telmarine army froze. They were facing us directly like an arrow, poised to strike at any moment. 

“Everyone inside.” I heard Peter say. I could also hear the sounds of people moving, but I could not bring myself to move. My worst fear had come true. Miraz was King. I felt a gentle hand on my arm.

“Come, Aurina.” Caspian said gently.

Finally, I looked to him. “What are we going to do, Caspian?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes flickered out across the clearing once again. “That is what we are going to decide now.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and gently pushed me toward the How. Before leaving, I glanced out towards the Telmarine army again, sending a prayer to the stars that they will remain there until we have decided on a plan.

Peter had called a “war council” meeting in the Stone Table room. Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy were already there talking amongst themselves, except for Peter. He was staring off to the side, saying nothing. There was also a red dwarf, I think Lucy called him Trumpkin, along with a centaur, a bear, a badger, and a mouse. Professor followed close behind Caspian and I. As I entered the room, my shock had worn off.

“Right, what is the plan?” I asked the room, causing silence to fall.

“We could dig into the How, like what we had discussed last time.” Susan suggested. “We have enough food and water to last us a while.”

“No,” I replied. “That will only trap us in here. You saw those catapults. One direct hit and they trap us in here for good. We need to attack and we need to attack now.” I slammed my fist into my open hand to add emphasis on “now”.

“I agree wholeheartedly!” The little mouse said, wielding his little sword in the air. “The hour of battle is upon us. We must act now!”

“Hold on, we have to think this through,” Edmund chimed in. “The Telmarines are smart and organized as we know. We need to have a battle plan.”

“There is no time to strategize.” I argued. “Because while we strategize, that Telmarine army will knocking down our door. We have to act fast.”

The red dwarf spoke up. “Look, we do need to attack, but we also need to have some sort of plan, so we don’t all get killed immediately.”

“Peter,” Lucy said loudly, forcing us all to quiet down. For someone so small and quiet, she could really command the attention of a room. “You’ve been awfully quiet. What are you thinking?”

Peter’s light blue eyes scanned the room, a flash of uncertainty hidden beneath the waves. I almost had pity for him, because of how young he looked in that moment. Then, he set his jaw and stood up straight, the King taking over once again. “Who helped us during the battle with the White Witch? Who helped us see that pass to cross the river a couple days ago? Who is the one person that is missing from all this?”

“Aslan.” Lucy answered. As she said the name, the room seemed to awaken and hum in agreement.

“Exactly. We need His help more than ever. I’ve been ignoring Him up until this point, thinking I could do it on my own. But I was wrong. I was only thinking of myself.” His eyes met mine for a moment, giving me a knowing look. “But that ends today. We need Aslan.”

Most everyone in the room nodded in agreement. The red dwarf spoke up again. “Forgive me, but how exactly do you propose we find this Great Lion? It’s not like we know where he is.”

“Lucy does.” Peter replied. We all turned to look at a confused Lucy. “You saw Him at the gorge when no one else did. You’ve always been able to see Him, so maybe you can find Him again. That’s why I want you to go out and find Him.”

A silence fell over the room. “Beards and kettle drums.” The red dwarf mumbled to himself, anger rising in his voice. “That’s your big plan? Sending a little girl into the darkest part of the forest alone?!”

“I have to agree,” I chimed in. “Surely, you see that we cannot just let Lucy out to wander the forest all alone with an entire army at our doorstep.”

“It’s our only chance.” Peter insisted. “We can distract Miraz and the army while Lucy makes for the forest.”

Susan stepped forward behind Lucy. “And she won’t be alone.” She stated bravely.

The red dwarf stepped closer to Lucy, softening his voice. “Haven’t enough of us died already?” 

“Nikabrik was my friend, too.” The badger said. “But he lost faith. Queen Lucy hasn’t. And neither have I.”

The sound of a small sword being drawn caught our attention. The mouse held his sword over his small heart. “For Aslan.”

The large bear stepped forward behind the mouse. “For Aslan.” He echoed with his bellowing voice.

“Then I’m going with you.” The red dwarf told Lucy.

She smiled kindly, and put a friendly hand on his shoulder. “No, we need you here.” The red dwarf bowed his head in sorrow.

“We have to hold them off long enough until Susan and Lucy get back.” Peter said.

Finally, I spoke my frustrations. “And how do you propose we do that? There is at least ten thousand men out there. How are we with our small numbers going to distract a highly-trained army such as the Telmarines?”

Peter opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by another voice. “If I may.” We all turned our heads to see Caspian stand up. I honestly had forgotten that he was there, and found myself startled at his sudden boost of confidence. “Miraz may be a tyrant and a murderer.” I couldn’t help but think back to merely a week ago, when I had told him that exact thing and he had brushed it off as me being paranoid. “But as King,” he continued. “He is subject to the traditions and expectations of his people.” He turned and looked at Peter. “There’s one in particular that may buy us some time.”

“What is that?” Edmund asked.

“A duel.” Caspian stated.

I gasped at his suggestion, letting out a small chuckle. “Caspian, that is brilliant! He could not refuse.”

“What are you talking about?” Peter asked.

I turned towards Peter with a skip in my step. “Miraz is a proud and egotistical man, is he not? If he has somehow wormed his way onto the throne, he will be looking for every opportunity to prove his Kingliness.”

“If one of us were to challenge him to a duel,” Caspian explained. “He would be forced to accept it. He would not want to seem weak in front of his subjects. He would also get a chance to personally squash this ‘rebellion’ as he sees it.”

“Nearly the whole army will be forced to watch, except for a small patrol to guard the camp.” I continued and turned to Susan and Lucy. “Those will be the ones you will have to watch out for on your journey.” Then I turned back to the group. “It won’t completely avoid a battle, but as Caspian said, it will buy us time.”

“So who’s going to challenge Miraz then?” The red dwarf asked.

“I will,” said Caspian, Peter, and myself all at the same time. We all exchanged looks with each other in confusion.

“Caspian, you are not fighting in any duel.” I scolded him. “If you were to fall, then the idea of uniting Telmar and Narnia will be lost.”

“But Aurina, you can’t fight him either.” Peter pointed out.

I turned and gave him a challenging look. “Why not? Do you think I cannot handle him? Believe me, I could fight ten of those Telmarine soldiers easily, so fighting one old, egotistical tyrant will be no problem.”

“You are just as important as Caspian in all of this.” Peter argued. “We need your skills to help in the battle. If you were to fall, then-“

I chuckled bitterly. “I assure you, I will not fall.”

“He’s right, Aurina.” Caspian said, not meeting my sharp gaze. “We need you.”

I stared at him incredulously. “Are you truly suggesting that we leave this grand battle to be fought a stranger?” I gestured my arm towards the High King. “No offense, but this is not your fight. Besides, if you were to fall-“

“Then, at least Narnia would still have a King.” Peter said, looking to Caspian. “Both of you are too important to this whole thing to challenge anyone to a duel. I’ve been in a few duels in my time and won. Besides, you said it yourself, Caspian, he wants to squash the rebellion. What better symbol of the rebellion than one who used to rule it?” He then looked at me. “If he truly as egotistical as you say he is, then he would more likely accept a challenge with me more than anyone else here. It’s time to stop putting myself first.”

“But Pete-“ Edmund tried to argue.

His older brother slapped a hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. “Not to worry, Ed. You’ll act as my second and you can try to convince him if he seems unsure. I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it better than you.”

“But what if they try to kidnap or kill him when he gets close to camp?” Susan asked.

“Send some Narnians with him.” Peter replied. “Maybe one of the giants. If the Telmarines still think of us as fairytales, then let’s try to scare them into reality.”

I could feel Peter’s eyes on me, but I did not meet his gaze. I was barely listening to the conversation. It all seemed so risky and dangerous. It didn’t sit right with me, but it was clear that I was not going to be able to convince him otherwise.

The meeting went on as they worked out strategies and plans. Peter wrote his letter to challenge Miraz. I sat on the side not saying anything, not really listening.

Eventually the meeting was adjourned. I did not stick around to talk to anyone. I sped out of the room away from everyone, needing to be by myself. I found myself sitting by the forging fires again. This time I did not sharpen swords or weapons. I sat and stared into the fire as if the answer to my worries would appear in the smoke. Too many thoughts clouded my mind as I sat thinking about what my life had come to. I had been trained to fight in battle my whole life, and now as one being presented to me, I felt very uncertain of what to do.

This plan seemed cowardly. Here, a man I barely know was about to face the one man I had been fighting against my entire life, and all I could do was watch. As skilled of a fighter as Peter might have been, he did not yet know what it takes to fight Miraz, a Telmarine no less.

I suddenly longed for the days of blissful ignorance again. When Caspian was still under Miraz’s spell, and dismissed my warnings as paranoia. When Professor was still our tutor, telling us the stories of Narnia in hushed tones. When Narnia was only a story. And it came to this. Fighting a war against the people I grew up with, my own people, alongside the characters that would fill my dreams as a young child.

Across the large domed room, I saw Peter and Edmund walking towards the mouth of the How. A giant and a centaur followed close behind. Peter turned to face the three, probably giving them some last-minute instructions. I sent a prayer to the stars that Edmund would return safely. I did not like the thought of him going to face Miraz alone either.

As the three made their way out to the clearing, I found myself struck with a new idea, that caused me to rise and walk towards Peter. His back was to me as he watched his younger brother disappear out into the world.

The sound of me drawing my sword caught his attention, for he then turned to face me. “Draw your sword, sir.” I challenged, wielding my sword in the air. “If you insist on fighting a Telmarine, it is time you learn to fight like one.”

Peter scoffed slightly, seemingly amused by my challenge. “I think I will be alright, thank you.” He said, taking a step in the opposite direction in attempt to escape.

In a flash, I swiped my sword just inches in front of him, a whooshing sound stopping him dead in his tracks. “If you think you can handle fighting Miraz without the slightest bit of training, you are not only a fool, but a madman.” I said, raising my sword to his eye level.

I could hear a couple of Narnians to the right of me draw their weapons, but Peter raised a hand to them, letting them know that he was fine. He shot me a playful glance. “I assure you, madam.” He said, slowly reaching for his sword. “I have had plenty of experience.” He removed his sword rapidly, causing me to take a slight step back to avoid getting sliced with his blade.

“Experience?” I repeated raising an eyebrow. “How can a young boy like yourself call himself ‘experienced’ in anything?” I swung my blade and made it collide with his with a sharp clang. Every step I took, he matched. A good sign. My words seemed to have a slight effect on him, judging by slight flame behind the blues of his eyes. He swung at me, but I countered expertly. Found it. “Why keep the pretense going?” I asked, gesturing to the crowd no gathered around us. Some of the creatures would yell out some encouragement for Peter every once in a while. I gestured towards them as I continued. “Do you think they cannot see the truth? You may pretend to be a High King, but even your loyal followers all see what I see now.” Peter’s jaw set as I continued, the flame in his eyes growing more and more. “A boy playing a man’s game.” 

That apparently had struck a nerve for he swung wildly with a loud grunt. I parried and blocked his advances with the swift movements I had practiced since I was a young girl. Ultimately, I was able to knock his sword out of his hand. I leapt forward bringing my blade up dangerously close to his neck. The crowd around fell silent and shifted slightly, waiting for the deadly twitch of my blade.

By now, the flame consumed Peter’s entire face. He breathed heavily, shooting daggers with his eyes down at me. I flashed him a victorious grin and leaned in close, speaking barely above a whisper. “Rule number one when fighting Miraz: Never let your emotions get the better of you. He may be older, but he is a master manipulator. When you start to get emotional, you leave yourself open and you die.”

I walked backwards a couple paces before assuming a ready position. “Again.” I instructed, gesturing for him to lunge at me.

Peter stood for a moment stunned, the fire gone and replaced by a mixture of wonder and confusion. Finally, he slowly knelt down to pick up his sword. “I will admit, you are a worthy opponent.” He said. He then leapt from his crouched position towards me. At first, I was startled, but I quickly overcame it as I forced my blade to meet his with a loud crash. “I look forward to learning more from you.” Peter said with a smile.

“Telmarines are trained to not only best their opponent physically,” I informed him as our blades danced off each other. “But mentally, as well. Miraz is no exception. You must learn to guard your mind and watch closely.” I spun and withdrew a concealed dagger hidden in my dress. I held it to his knee. “A Telmarine is full of surprises.”

We continued our fight, this time the crowd cheering for both Peter and myself. As we dueled, I spotted Caspian amongst the Narnians, standing with his arms folded and shaking his head. It was clear that he did not approve of this, but I ignored him. I was enjoying my duel with Peter too much. It had been some time since I had a proper dueling partner, who could put up a good fight. Caspian was a worthy opponent, but was too easily vanquished. Peter, however, was persistent and driven. All of his stubbornness he had displayed the past few days, he now used to counter my attacks. It was quite impressive.

Finally, I knelt down, stuck my right foot out, and swung it around. My leg connected with his feet and Peter fell backwards, dropping his sword. He fell with a grunt, as I stood over him, placing my left foot on his chest and hovering my sword above his right eye. The crowd cheered loudly, causing me to smile widely. I took my foot off of his chest and leaned down to offer him a hand up. “Not bad.” I remarked, as he took my hand. “For a Narnian.” This made him smile in return. I pulled him up, his hand lingering in mine for a small fraction of time. His eyes met mine, and I felt my face turn a shade of pink.

The sound of a horn caused a hush over the crowd and Peter and I to release our grip. We all turned to see the giant, the centaur, and Edmund walking back through opening of the cave. Their expressions were unreadable. Silently, I prayed my thanks to the stars that they had returned safely. They stopped in front of the crowd, pausing for a moment to look out amongst us. I remember holding my breath, waiting to hear what Miraz had said.

“Miraz has accepted the duel.” Edmund announced locking eyes with his older brother. A cheer rang from the Narnians as they all gathered around Peter and Edmund. I did not celebrate or cheer. Instead, I stood still, being pushed out of the way by several eager Narnians wanting to get close to their Kings. Peter managed to look back at me, sending me an almost apologetic look, before turning back to his brother.

As the crowd moved further from me, I felt an arm around my shoulders. I looked to see Caspian regarding the celebration in front of us, his arm squeezing me affectionately. As I rested my head on his shoulder, we shared a mutual sigh.

There was no turning back now. All of our destinies were set in motion. We were going to war.


	14. Chapter 13

The next few hours were spent preparing for the battle to come. Edmund and Peter were off strategizing with Caspian. Susan and Lucy were gathering supplies for their journey with the help of the Professor. Armor and weapons were being distributed amongst the Narnian soldiers. The whole How was buzzing with anticipation. I was finishing up putting the last of my armor on when Susan and Lucy came to bid me goodbye.

“I wish you both safe journeys.” I said as I embraced them tightly. “Watch each other’s back. And keep to the shadows as much as you can.”

“We will.” Lucy nodded with a smile. She then looked over at her two brothers still going over the battle plans. “Watch over them until we get back. They’re going to need someone like you looking out for them.”

I smiled warmly at the little Queen. Susan gave me one last embrace. “Be careful.” She told me.

Just then, I noticed Caspian walking up to us, his eyes fixated on Susan. “If it pleases you,” Caspian said softly, getting the attention of the two Queens. I couldn’t help but notice a faint shade of pink painted on Caspian’s face. I suppressed a chuckle. “I would like to offer my horse, Destrier, to help with your search.”

Susan stammered slightly. “We couldn’t possibly take your horse from you.” She replied weakly. “What will you ride instead?”

“There are plenty of horses here he could use.” I said. “Caspian’s horse is one of the fastest horses in Telmar. He will get you where you need to go.” I then turned to the blushing prince. “Caspian, why not go and prepare your horse for the journey?”

After flashing me a quick warning glance, he replied, “Destrier is ready. I need only to adjust the saddle.”

“Perfect.” I smiled. “Then you will see these two off.” Before he or Susan could protest, I gently pushed them towards the stables. Lucy and I exchanged sly grins before she followed after them.

A smile remained on my face as I watched them go. It was very amusing to see a new side to Caspian. Soon, my smile faded as the gravity of the situation settled into my mind. 

I followed after them, going down a small tunnel that lead to a thick forested area. The opening of the cave would be hidden from the Telmarines, but it would be up to them to keep to the thickets and out of sight the rest of the way.

As I rounded the corner, I saw Susan and Lucy were mounted on Destrier, Susan in front holding the reins, with Lucy behind her clutching her sister’s waist. Just as I laid eyes on them, they set off, Destrier’s hooves echoing and bouncing off the cave walls.

Caspian watched them go, not seeming to notice my approach. “Go after them.” I said.

He jumped slightly and turned. “What?” He gasped, half in a daze.

“Follow them.” I repeated. “They need someone to watch their back.”

He looked back toward the tunnel and then down at Susan’s horn in his hands, cradling it like a newborn. “I cannot. We are about to go to war.” He said quietly and unconvincingly.

“I will be here.” I rested a hand on his arm, forcing him to look at me. Our eyes met. I had looked into Caspian’s deep brown eyes so many times. We had always shared this mutual respect and care for each other, ever since we were young. He was my best friend. And I tried to convey all of this with only a look. “Susan and Lucy need you. Besides, I can see it in your eyes. You want to go after her.”

The pink returned to Caspian’s face, something that was hard to detect in the low torchlit room. He smiled. “I will go.” He nodded. “As long as you watch out for him.”

I knew that he was referring to Peter, this time pink appearing on my face. How strange it was that we felt such feelings for other people even though we were betrothed to each other. I reached up and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

“Come back to me in one piece. Do you understand?” I ordered.

“Yes, milady.” He replied with a smile. “And you,” He poked my nose affectionately. “Make sure that Miraz pays for his crimes.” 

“As you wish, my King.” I said. I wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tightly to me. He in turn wrapped his arms around my waist. We held this for a moment. I tried to commit his scent to memory and prayed to the stars for his safety in the battle to come. Giving him one final squeeze, I broke our embrace. “On your way then, soldier.” I told him, standing up straight.

Caspian nodded and took a step back. He then bowed at the waist, before turning to one of the horses behind him and mounting it. I watched him disappear down the tunnel, feeling a sense of worry wash over me. _Aslan, please watch over my Caspian._ The sound of cheering from the open domed room caused me to turn around. I was reminded that there was still an entire duel to endure. And I had one more person I wished to talk to beforehand.

I found Peter in the Stone Table room. He was fastening the last of his armor to his arm. His back was to me and did not seem to hear me approach. I stopped and watched him for a moment. My stomach was in knots every time I was near him. How could one man affect me so?

“Do you need assistance?” I asked. He turned and saw me approach. I saw his eyes scan me up and down for a split second, causing my stomach to knot further.

“I can handle it.” He insisted. Though he had shown himself to be right-handed, he was struggling to fasten his armor on his right arm.

After a few moments of hearing him grunt in frustration, I said, “You do not always have to be so stubborn, you know.” I grabbed hold of his arm and brought it closer to me, so I could fasten the straps. A pulse beat back and forth between Peter and me. With us being in such close proximity, I was almost afraid he could hear my heart beating. And yet, I was drawn to him. Something did not want me to lean away.

“And you don’t always have to be so harsh.” He remarked, wincing when I accidentally tightened the straps too much.

I could feel him looking down at me, but I could not bring myself to meet his gaze. I feared I would get lost in his sea. Instead, I kept my focus on his arm. “Well, if you are going to insist on doing such foolish things like this, it leaves me no other choice.”

“I have to do this, Aurina.” He said softly.

This time, I felt enough courage to look up at him. “Why?” I demanded. “Why do you feel as though you must do this? This is not your fight.”

“For Narnia’s sake.” He replied, searching my eyes for something I was not about to let him find. “And yours.”

My breath was caught in my throat. “Mine?” I asked weakly.

He nodded slowly and deliberately. “Caspian told me how much you loathe Miraz. How much you’ve been fighting against him, even when Caspian did not believe you. Maybe by fighting him now, I may bring you some peace.”

I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly feeling dry. I dropped his gaze and finished fastening Peter’s armbands with one final tug. “I do not need anyone to fight my battles for me.” I said through clenched teeth. I turned to walk away, but Peter caught me by the arm, his touch pulsing through my body.

“I know you don’t, Aurina.” I heard him say, but I still refused to make eye contact. I could hear him smile as he spoke. “You’ve certainly proved that you are perfectly capable of fighting your own battles. But, at least this way, I can try and help.”

Slowly, I turned and met his eyes once again. There was a new gentle way about him, making him appear almost vulnerable. “Why do you care so much about me?” I asked.

The way he looked at me in that moment was something that can only be described as breathtaking, even though that word alone does not begin to accurately define it. One look was able to communicate a whole conversation without saying a word. “Do you really not know?” was the only thing he said.

My head shook violently. “No, you cannot, Peter.” I said. “You cannot. You do not know me.”

“I know, but every time I’m around you, it’s like….” He placed his hands on my arms holding me firmly in place. “There’s this… force that I feel between us that I have felt ever since I first laid eyes on you back in that dark castle.”

“What you feel is infatuation.” I insisted. “Nothing more.”

His gaze deepened as he searched my eyes for more. “Are you saying that you don’t feel anything towards me? At all?” He challenged.

My cheeks grew wet, as much as I tried to fight it. “It does not matter what I feel. The fact remains that I am betrothed. To Caspian. I made a promise to my father on his death bed that I would wed Caspian and I intend to keep that promise.”

Peter searched my face once more. “I’m not asking you to break a promise, Aurina. I’m asking if you feel something towards me? Right now, can’t you feel it?”

There was a desperation in his eyes. His grip on my arms tightened as if he was afraid I would float away if he let go. “What do you want me to say?” I asked, feeling defeated.

A moment passed, our eyes saying more than what words could say. “You don’t have to say anything.” He said finally. “For once, just don’t say anything.” Before I could blink, he placed his lips on mine.

There are no words that could accurately describe the sensation I felt when we kissed. It felt like I was flying and falling at the same time. I felt dizzy and stable. The world seemed to fade, yet everything seemed so clear. I felt as though that everything in my life had lead me to that exact moment, as if I was always meant to be here, in Peter’s loving and passionate embrace.

Finally, our lips parted, mostly so we could catch our breath. We stared at each other, both seemingly surprised by the amount of passion we had just felt.

“Pete?” Edmund’s voice echoed down the tunnel, making us jump apart, my body already missing his touch.

Edmund rounded the corner to see us both red in the face. If he noticed it, he did not acknowledge it. “We’re ready, if you are.” He said.

Reality sunk it once again. The impending battle was about to begin. I looked at Peter, who also looked at me for a brief moment. In that moment, his eyes seemed to say something that I could not make out. Then, he squared his shoulders and set his jaw, looking back towards his little brother. “I’m ready.”

Edmund nodded and went back down the tunnel. Peter started to follow when I found myself calling out, “Peter?”

He stopped and faced me. When his eyes locked onto mine, I felt unable to breathe or speak. He had a power over me that I had not yet overcome. Everything that I had wanted to say was stuck in throat. Instead, I said, “Be careful.”

Peter nodded. “I’ll see you when this is all over.” He offered slight smile before turning back down the tunnel.

Before leaving the Stone Table, I glanced back at the carving of Aslan, praying that He will save us all.


	15. Chapter 14

Peter, Edmund, and I walked in a triangular formation, Peter being in the middle. We exited the How as the Narnians stationed outside screamed and yelled their support for their King. The duel was to take place on the stones outside of the How. On the other side of the clearing, Telmarines shouted their support for their King. In front of us, I could see Miraz sitting, holding his helmet by his side. Behind him stood Lord Sopespian and General Glozelle. My worst nightmare had come true.

As we walked closer to the stones, my eyes locked with Miraz’s. The same arrogance that was once hidden beneath the surface now became the golden armor that he wore. It felt as though I was staring in to Evil itself. He bowed his head to me in mock respect. I looked away purposefully, ignoring his bow. Then, I looked up to Peter. His eyes were fixated on Miraz, too. His strong jawline set in defiance.

Finally, the crowd’s cheers died down as we reached the stones. An eerie silence fell over the large expanse of land. Peter stopped and withdrew his sword from its sheath, which Edmund had been holding, earning another round of cheers from the Narnians. He gave his brother a nod and then looked at me once more. The tears that had been in my eyes earlier were gone, but the worry that consumed me remained. Still, I gave Peter an encouraging nod, which he responded with a faint wink. My stomach knotted at the small gesture, but I kept my composure together. Miraz was not going to see any weakness from me.

Peter walked out towards the center of the stones, taking a deep breath. Miraz put on his helmet and drew his sword, Glozelle handing him his shield. Finally, Miraz stood and poised himself for battle. There it was, right in front of me. The duel was about to begin.

“There is still time to surrender.” Miraz called to Peter, who was pacing back and forth like a caged lion.

“Well, feel free.” Peter replied cheekily. If the air around me had not been so tense, I might have smiled.

“How many more must die for the throne?” Miraz asked.

“Just one.” Peter said, pushing the face of his helmet over his face.

A shiver went down my spine as the two men readied themselves. Then almost as if they had planned it, both of them lunged for each other at the same time. The sound of metal colliding sent a sickening feeling to my stomach. The battle had begun.

I had witnessed a few duels in my days leading up to that. Most of them, however, were meant for practice. The few that weren’t were over in a matter of minutes. Now, I was standing watching a man that I cared for face the man that I hated with every fiber of my being. It took every ounce of me not to jump in and strike Miraz down myself. Every once in a while, I would look out to the trees, hoping that Aslan would emerge with Caspian, Susan, and Lucy all safe. Every strike of the sword, each clang of the shield, each grunt was like a dagger in me.

The two were evenly matched for a while. Each thrusting and blocking with a matching vigor. Peter, however, seemed to be gaining speed with every strike, probably due to his youth. Miraz, on the other hand, was growing visibly weary. That is until Miraz slammed his shield into Peter knocking him on his back. As Peter laid down collecting himself, Miraz stepped down on the shield attached to Peter’s arm. A loud popping sound followed by Peter screaming echoed over the air. A gasp escaped from my mouth, and I moved a hand over my mouth to stop myself from sobbing. There was no doubt that Peter’s arm was dislocated. Still, Peter swung at Miraz with his other hand, which held his sword. Miraz tried to block it, but missed slightly, causing Peter’s blade to cut into Miraz’s leg. The old tyrant let out a cry, throwing his head back. Peter then swung his legs around knocking Miraz to the ground, much like how I had done to Peter earlier. The man was a fast learner.

As the two struggled to get up, movement amongst the trees caught my eye. I looked out and saw Caspian riding towards us. It looked like Susan was riding behind him, but I could not see Lucy. “Edmund,” I grabbed hold of his arm, gesturing toward the approaching horse. I said a quick prayer of gratitude that Caspian at least was alive. I looked back over to the two dueling Kings, who had regained their footing. Peter was looking at Caspian briefly, while Miraz looked towards his seconds. General Glozelle, who was holding a bow and arrow, seemed confused by Miraz’s look, as if he was being instructed to do something that he did not understand.

“Does His Majesty need a respite?” Miraz asked breathlessly.

“Five minutes?” Peter offered, pain dripping from his voice.

Miraz stared at him angrily and straightened up. “Three.” He demanded.

The two men stood still for a moment before slowly and carefully walking back towards their people. I ran out to meet Peter, throwing my arm around him. “Are you alright?” I asked, gently touching his wounded arm.

He answered with a pained grunt. I looked over my shoulder towards Miraz, and saw him angrily talking to General Glozelle. Something was not right.

“Thanks for the lesson.” Peter muttered, flashing me a very brief smile. The look in his eye told me exactly how much pain and exhaustion he was feeling. Sympathy washed over me instantly.

“You were a good student.” I replied, offering a smile back.

By the time we reached our corner, Caspian and Susan dismounted the horse. Upon seeing his sister, I felt Peter’s body tense and straighten up slightly. “Lucy?”

“She got through.” Susan assured him. Then, she nodded towards Caspian, barely looking at him. “With a little help.”

Peter turned and gave Caspian a nod. “Thanks.”

“Well, you were busy.” He retorted.

“Caspian!” I scolded.

“You better get on up there.” Peter said to Susan, gesturing up above where the archers were stationed. “I don’t expect the Telmarines to keep their word.”

As I turned him towards me to remove the shield from his wounded arm, I felt someone gently me push me aside for a moment. Susan had come and gave her brother a hug. As she held him tightly, he winced in pain. “Sorry,” She said softly, letting go of him. “Be careful.” Her brother looked down on his sister and nodded assuredly.

Susan turned to go to her post, when I caught her hand briefly. “You, too.” I said, giving her hand a friendly squeeze.

“Keep smiling.” Edmund said, looking back at the Narnians. We all turned to see the onlookers looking worried at our group.

Peter forced a smile and raised his sword high, which the Narnians returned with a rousing cheer. Susan ran back to the How to assume her position with the archers. I could not fake a smile. Worry had filled me like liquid in a glass.

“Let’s take a look at your arm then,” I said to Peter, sitting him down on a stone. Caspian and I worked together to gently remove the shield from his arm. When we managed to slide it off, Peter yelped in pain. “I think I have something that can help with the pain.” I told him, grabbing the pack on my hip.

“I think it’s dislocated.” Peter said, as Edmund came to his brother’s aid.

I quickly searched for the right herb. “Caspian, do you have water with you?” I asked.

He nodded and grabbed a canteen hanging from his horse. “What have I missed?” He asked as I snatched the canteen from his hand.

“Miraz has a cut on his leg, which Peter could use to his advantage.” I explained as I worked. I produced the special herb from my pack and poured water over it. “They both have put up quite a good fight, but I think Miraz might have something else up his sleeve.”

Just then, another sickening crunch sound forced a gasp out of me. Edmund had popped Peter’s arm back into place, causing Peter to yell out in pain. I ran over to him producing the wet herb. “Here, chew on this. It will help with the pain.” I told him, placing it in his mouth. As he chewed, I lowered my voice. “Use that cut on his leg to your advantage. Also, keep watching your back. I think Miraz is planning something.”

Peter listened and nodded. “Thank you, Aurina.” He said, looking me in the eye. “For everything.” The way he said it gave me pause. I regarded him carefully as he stood up in preparation for the next round. It almost sounded like he was saying goodbye.

Caspian gave me Peter’s helmet, which I held out for him to take. Peter shook his head at it and walked out to the arena once again.

“Wait, Peter.” I called out trying to stop him. But he did not listen, the stubborn fool. Caspian’s arm reached around me, in attempt to give me comfort. But nothing would give me comfort that day. Instead, I hung on to Peter’s helmet, praying that I would be able to give it back to him.

This time, neither Miraz nor Peter waited very long before running at each other, blades swinging violently. Both men seemed determined to end this battle once and for all. Caspian’s arm remained wrapped around me, which gave me some sense of calm. Though, I still felt helpless, staring out watching the two kings battle to the death, and I not being able to stop it.

Peter’s swings got wider, yet they were more powerful blows. Miraz grew somewhat slow in his movement, but each swipe was tight and controlled. With these two factors, the two still were evenly matched.

Once, Miraz elbowed Peter in the head, causing him to fly backward. My stomach felt very ill, again cursing the fact that he did not want to wear his helmet. The evil man came to him and swung wildly at him, Peter barely dodging each swing. Then, just before Miraz could bring down his sword on his opponent, Peter yelled as he brought a fist down on Miraz’s leg, making direct contact on the wound he had made previously. Miraz shouted and stepped backward slightly, giving Peter some time to regain his footing.

I watched meekly as Peter ran for Miraz, who saw him coming and quickly whipped his sword around. Peter’s blade was thrown from his hand, leaving him slightly stunned. Shouting a victorious yell, Miraz lunged for the young King, but Peter grabbed ahold of the madman’s blade with his hands. After a slight struggle, Peter turned on his knees, taking Miraz’s sword out of his hands and sending the blade into his opponent’s chest.

Caspian and I held our breath as Miraz made a weak gasping sound. It was the first time he had shown any sort of weakness. Peter stood as Miraz fell to his knees, his arms clutching where the sword was sticking out of his chest. He raised a hand in submission to Peter. If it was not for the shock, I might have smiled at the sight of it.

As Peter grabbed his sword, I head Edmund call out, “Now is not the time for chivalry, Pete.”

I turned and hit his arm. “Edmund.” I scolded.

“This has to end, Aurina.” He said in a monotone.

“He’s right.” Caspian said, making me turn back to him. His eyes were fixated on his uncle with a fiery intensity that I had never seen before. “He has to end it.”

I shook my head. Yes, Miraz was an evil man, who deserved every bit of punishment imaginable, but killing him. It was stooping to his level. Turning my gaze out to the arena again, I saw Peter raising his sword, prepared to strike his opponent down at any moment. But I could tell there was hesitation in him. Perhaps he would spare his life after all.

Miraz took notice of Peter’s hesitation as well. “What’s the matter, boy?” He challenged, gasping for air. “Too cowardly to take a life?”

Peter stiffened and lowered his sword, standing over Miraz menacingly. “It’s not mine to take.” He replied venomously. Then, he turned and faced Caspian, holding out his sword to him.

“No,” I said, grabbing hold of my friend’s hand. But he did not appear to hear or acknowledge me. His eyes were still locked onto Miraz. With a firm shake, he wrenched his hand from mine and stepped forward. “No, please, Caspian.” I begged, tears stinging my eyes once again. But Caspian continued to walk toward his uncle, grabbing the sword from Peter.

The young King walked back and stood between Edmund and I, refusing to look at me. “It’s alright, Aurina,” He said quietly to me. “He needs it more than I do.”

Tears now freely flowed down my cheeks. Caspian was not a murderer, he was not his Uncle. But it was clear that I could not stop this. Caspian raised his sword, poised and ready to strike. Miraz looked up to his nephew with a mysterious look. It almost looked like he was accepting his fate.

“Perhaps, I was wrong.” I heard him say in a low, threatening tone. “Maybe you do have what it takes to be a King after all.”

I felt an armored hand clasp mine. Peter’s. I clung to it like a desperate child, seeking any comfort I could. There was nothing I wanted more than to close my eyes and pretend it was not happening. But I forced my eyes forward, tears still flowing like a stream. I needed to witness this.

Caspian let out an anguished scream, one I am sure he had been suppressing for many years. Miraz bowed his head. The sword’s end rammed itself downward, but instead of connecting with flesh, it landed inches in front of him in the ground.

Gasps echoed behind, even Miraz let out a sound of surprise. He looked up at his nephew again, who was towering over him with a massive amount of power. “Not one like you.” He said through clenched teeth. I let out the breath that I had been holding, a wave of relief washing over me. “Keep your life.” Caspian continued. “But I am giving the Narnians back their freedom.”

The stunned tyrant remained on his knees, breathing heavily from shock. Caspian straightened up, squaring his shoulders, before turning back towards us.

The Narnians cheered, as I let go of Peter’s hand and ran out to embrace Caspian. Throwing my arms around his neck, I clung to him tightly, my smile so wide it produced its own set of tears. “I am so proud of you.” I said, as he returned the hug. Then, I let go of him, and placed a hand on his cheek affectionately. “And I know your father would be too.”

A twinkle shown in his eye as he grinned. We went back to Peter and Edmund, who each gave him congratulatory slaps on the arm. I even saw him sneak a quick glance up at the archers, where Susan was smiling down on him. It finally felt as though it was all over. We started to walk back to the How, in order to celebrate our victory.

“Ah!” A gurgled cry made us all stop in our tracks and silence us. Slowly, we turned to the stones where the battle had taken place to find a ghastly scene. Miraz had an arrow sticking out of his side, Lord Sopespian standing not too far from him. The tyrant fell to the ground in a deadly heap, finally defeated once and for all. I knew the arrow. Its unmistakable red feathers waved in the wind. It was Susan’s arrow. Had Susan shot Miraz?

I turned and looked up at her, locking eyes. She shook her head, reading my mind. She had not fired the arrow. It must have been one of Miraz’s so-called supporters.

“Treachery!” Lord Soposbian shouted, pointing at us. “They murdered our King!” General Glozelle mounted his horse and rode back to the army.

“Oh, no.” I mumbled to myself. This was not over. The real battle had just begun.


	16. Chapter 17

“Be ready!” Peter called up to his sister, Susan. Some of the Narnians were already scrambling inside of the How. I was about to run towards Caspian, who was standing a few paces back, when the sound of swords being drawn behind Peter, Edmund, and I caught my attention. I peeked over my shoulder to see a couple Telmarine soldiers approaching us, ready to strike.

“Peter!” I warned, whipping out my sword and springing into action. I lunged towards the one closest to me. Peter was quick to react and went to attack the other soldier. I finished my opponent in just three strokes; he must have been a new recruit. As the Telmarine fell to the ground, I noticed to far from him laid Miraz’s body. Cold and lifeless. I stood there, mesmerized by it somehow. It still did not seem real that he was actually gone. And that he had fallen at the hand of his own people.

“Go,” Peter grabbed my arm, snapping me back into reality. He had apparently finished off his opponent, and noticed me staring. “Now.” He said, letting go of my arm.

I ran to the centaur leader, who held out his hand and hoisted me onto his back. Caspian mounted the horse he had ridden to rescue Lucy and Susan. We did not move. Instead, we waited for Peter’s signal. Peter stood at the center of the arena where he had fought Miraz, gazing out across the clearing. Judging from the sounds of cheers and a low rumble shaking the ground beneath us, the cavalry was charging right for us.

As they neared, the ground shook more. Even on the centaur’s back I could feel the solid vibrations. “Come on,” I muttered under my breath. The cavalry was getting closer and closer and Peter still had not given us the signal.

At long last, Peter suddenly turned and nodded, giving us our signal. Caspian and I then rode into the How, not before I tossed one last look over my shoulder at Peter. For a moment, we locked eyes, silently telling each other to stay alive.

We entered the How, grabbing hold of torches to help light our way. “Narnians,” Caspian called to the many Narnians stationed and ready for battle inside. “Charge!”

“Charge!” I yelled, as the centaur rode off into one of the tunnels the Narnians had previously dug. The plan was to knock down the pillars of the tunnels, in order to cave in the ground from underneath the cavalry.

The horn sounded, meaning that it was time for us to count. “One, two…” I counted quietly to myself. With the noise of clanging metal and stomping feet from our little army, my voice was barely audible.

“Three, four…” Above our heads, the ground would suddenly shake violently and omit a loud boom. Clearly, the Telmarines had launched their catapults.

“Five, six…” I swallow a large lump in my throat. It was about time. My heart beat faster than the hooves underneath me.

“Seven, eight…” I held a torch in one hand and wielded my sword in the other, ready to battle.

“Nine, ten. Now!” I shouted, swinging my sword wildly into a neighboring column of dirt. Behind me, Narnians swung their many weapons into columns. Dirt started to rain down on us as we sprinted through the tunnel, some cracks began to form. Our running increased in attempt to avoid being crushed by falling earth. I did not dare look back to see how successful it had been. The important part was the battle ahead.

We neared a ramp two Narnians lowered for us. The ramp was cut out from the ground above, so that way when it was lowered, we would have access to the above battle. The centaur and I burst out from the tunnel, fresh air hitting my lungs almost violently. I quickly dropped my torch and stuck my sword high in the air. “Charge!” I shouted, as we turned for the hole in the Earth that we had made to attack the remaining cavalry.

As soon as we closed in on the fallen cavalry soldiers, the centaur grabbed hold of my arm with a firm gentility. I leaned away from him, so much so that if he were not holding onto me, I would have fallen. My blade flowed through the air like a graceful dance, but this dance ended with a soldier crying out in pain and falling. We passed several soldiers still dazed from the ground falling from underneath them, and we took turns cutting each one down.

Finally, the centaur slowed down enough for me to dismount. It was now time for us to fight our own battles. Although I had trained ever since I was a young girl for battle, this was my very first one. It seems silly to say now, but it was nothing like drills that my father ran. Here I was, trying to actually harm the men that I had trained with only a few years prior. But I did not let it deter me. 

I accessed all of the techniques I had gleaned from my father over the years. Each swipe of the sword was effortless thanks to muscle memory. I kept reaching into the folds of my armored dress to grab the hidden daggers and swords if I lost my sword, or if another soldier was approaching while I was occupied with another. On average, I was fighting about two or three soldiers at a time.

Then, there was a slight break in opponents. I had just cut my sword down hard on a man’s throat, and happened to be facing out toward where the Telmarine army was stationed. Apparently, they had sent out the infantry, for rows and rows of soldiers were marching right for the small hole in the ground. I could hear the whistle of the stones being flung by catapults and the sickening crunch as they hit the ground behind me. Even with the rows of foot soldiers approaching, I knew that there were still many soldiers waiting their signal to move. They greatly outnumbered us.

“Back to the How!” Peter shouted just a few feet away from me. If we went back to the tunnels of the How, we could take advantage of the hidden corridors and defeat the Telmarine army by surprise. Frantically, everyone who was able dashed back towards the tomb. I was running just beside Peter now. As we ran, the stones being cast by the catapults were increasing rapidly around us and smashing into the ancient tomb. Then, one flew just above our heads, just as we were mere paces from the entrance. I looked to see a large stone sink into the rocks that supported the opening to the How, large cracks forming around its impact.

I held out my arm to Peter, to stop him from going further. We slowed to a halt as the entrance finally caved in, crushing a few Narnian soldiers with it. I couldn’t help but feel a wave of disappointment. That was our only chance to possibly win this war. Now all that was left was Aslan, if he even existed.

The archers were stationed just above the entrance to the How and scrambled to safety as the rocks fell. Susan, however, fell forward, the ground underneath her crumbling. The red dwarf caught her arm and swung her to a large solid rock that she would be able to climb down to safety.

I turned to see Caspian standing next to me. “You alright?” I asked him, noticing he had already earned a slice on his cheek.

He nodded breathlessly and turned around to face the battle once again. It was not going to be easy. The foot soldiers of the Telmarine army had surrounded us in front of the How. We were either going to pull off a miraculous victory or we would perish. Edmund and Susan joined us and we all exchanged determined looks. Peter’s eyes lingered on mine, flashing me yet another wink. I took out a dagger and drew my sword in the other hand, holding them at the ready. Then, on Peter’s signal, we all ran back towards the battle and what we thought was our demise.

With the thought of dying on this battleground at the front of my mind, a new vigor arose in me. My swings were much more powerful and I was cutting through Telmarines in record time. That is until my sword connected with one that was all too familiar. We held our swords together for a moment and stared at the person holding the other.

I smiled bitterly. “General Glozelle,” I greeted, still panting from the fighting. “How odd that we should meet here.”

“Indeed, Lady Aurina,” He said. “It is always a pleasure to see you.” He tried to lunge at me with a dagger, but I saw him and acted quickly. I swung my leg out and kicked the dagger from his hand, also swiping my sword horizontally. I was hoping to either cut his leg or chest, but he was also quick and counteracted my attack.

We continued our duel in the same pattern. Glozelle had always been an accomplished swordsman. We had faced off in many drills held by my father before. But this time, we were out for blood.

“It is a shame that you have betrayed your people, Lady Aurina,” He sneered. “We could be fighting side by side.”

A chuckle escaped from me. “I could say the same for you. But you were always one to blindly follow the strong ones.”

“I do not follow blindly.” He objected, followed by a few quick jabs in my direction.

I counteracted each one with ease. Clearly, I had struck a nerve. “Your so-called King has perished. And now, you undoubtedly carry out his dying wish for you to kill his own nephew, the rightful heir to the throne. Did you not once stop to consider why?”

“A good soldier never questions his orders. As your father taught me.”

This time it was my turn to take a few jabs at him. He was able to keep up, but he was getting slower and wide with his sword. I just had to push him a little more. “My father also taught me to lead with your own compass. Surely you know that this is all wrong.”

“No.” He shook his head and raised his sword. A big mistake on his part. I swung my sword upward. He backed up slightly to avoid getting sliced but did not move fast enough. He yelped and clutched his face. I tried to take advantage of his pain with my sword, but he blocked my attacks. When he lowered his hand, I saw that my blade had just missed his eye, a long thin stream of blood across his eye. It started just above his eyebrow and went down to his cheekbone. That was going to scar. The thought of him always having to know that his scar was from a girl gave me a twisted feeling of joy.

I made my next moves very quickly. I ducked low and spun, sticking a foot out. It was becoming my signature move. Glozelle lost his balance and fell backward. What I had not noticed before then was that we were on the edge of the hole in the ground made by the cave in. When Glozelle fell backward, he fell into the hole. It didn’t take long before another soldier came to fight me, so I did not have a chance to pursue him. A part of me hoped that he was still alive for some reason.

After I cut down three more soldiers, the ground began to shake from underneath me. I also heard several cries from behind me. After I swiped my sword down, delivering the final blow to the man I was fighting, I turned to see what was causing the commotion. And I still do not know if what I say was real.

Trees almost as tall as the How itself were moving. It almost looked like they were floating, but they used their roots to help propel themselves forward. I stared in awe at the massive moving trees. In the stories Professor told us, he had mentioned that the trees in Narnian culture used to be sentient. They used sing and dance and send messages. Now, it appeared they were soldiers.

A stone from a catapult knocked one of the trees down, making it fall with a loud and thunderous thud. The other trees grew upset from this, and forced their roots forward. They grew rapidly and dug into the ground, the earth cracking as the roots moved. They reached all the way over to the catapults and crushed the war machines with their powerful roots. Cheers from the Narnians erupted.

“Lucy.” I heard Peter say to Caspian. They stood rather close to me, gawking at the sight as well. Was this really the work of Aslan and a small girl?

The Telmarines then started to retreat, running back into the forest from where they came. Joy flooded me as I took in the sight of it all. Telmarines never retreated. They were infamous for charging straight into battle even if they knew they would perish. Yet here they were. Running like children fleeing from the monsters in their bedtime stories. We were gaining the upper hand.

“For Aslan!” Peter shouted, sounding the charge to follow them.

“For Aslan!” We repeated, a newfound wave of energy coming over us. A smile was stuck on my face during our pursuit. Maybe we would come out of this alive after all. 

The Telmarines continued their retreat, all of us closing in on them. Finally, we reached a clearing. Actually, it was a fjord, a river flowing softly in the middle. The soldiers stopped along the banks of the river, where they had built a bridge.

We lined ourselves along the tree line, blocking the Telmarines from moving. From our vantage point I could see that they had built a bridge, Lord Sopespian still on his horse and stopped halfway across. I remember a warm breeze blowing over us all, and the trees seemed to move out of the way. On the other side of the river, I could see a figure approaching the bridge. Aslan.

He was everything that the stories and Lucy had told me to be and more. He had this presence about Him that could be felt even from where I was standing. He stared down Lord Sopespian with a gentle intensity that is difficult to describe. I remember feeling almost breathless.

Soon, Lucy appeared next to Him. Next to me, I could hear Peter let out a sigh of relief. His plan had worked. Lucy withdrew her small dagger from its sheath, wielding it and preparing for a fight. Slight chuckles passed amongst the Telmarines. What was she doing?

“Charge!” Lord Sopespian called out, leading a charge across the bridge and towards the Great Lion and the little Queen.

“No!” I sprang from my stance to try and chase after them, but a hand firmly held me back.

“Wait.” Peter said calmly, almost as if he knew what would happen next. I shot him an incredulous look, but he did not meet my gaze. He kept his blue eyes fixed on his sister and Aslan. My heart beat quickly, praying to the stars that Lucy would be spared any harm.

Then Aslan let out a mighty roar. The roar was so powerful the ground beneath us shook, the trees shrunk back, even the water started to recede away in fear. The Telmarines stopped in their tracks and noticed the water lowering abnormally quickly. A low rumble echoed from upriver, everyone turning to look. I almost expected an avalanche from the mountains caused by the Great Lion’s mighty roar.

Instead, the water rose just beyond us, like a dam had broken loose. It was headed towards the bridge. Some of the Telmarines started to shift towards us, trying to escape the oncoming flood. Susan, Edmund, Peter, Caspian, and I all wielded our swords yelling at them to stay back. Then the water rose high above the trees. A face formed on water. The way the water flowed around the face, it almost seemed like hair. Just in front of our awed expressions, a giant man made entirely of water stood, looking down on the Telmarines.

The water man then looked towards Aslan and gave Him a slight head bow. I had to blink a few times to make sure that I wasn’t imagining it. I couldn’t help but think about how different my life was then compared to the week before. The water man reached his water arms underneath the bridge. He disappeared for a moment, the bridge being ripped up from the ground. Telmarines became more desperate and dared to get closer and closer to us, but we held our positions and did not let any of them pass. Some of the soldiers held up their hands and fell to their knees in surrender, a rare sight indeed.

The bridge that was being lifted still held Lord Sopespian on his horse. The water man appeared once again and stared intently at the frightened general. I watched in awe as Lord Sopespian screamed, flailing his sword in vain, and the water man consuming him and his horse. As soon as he did, the waters dropped down to the river as normal and the river returned to its calm state as if nothing had happened. The remaining Telmarine soldiers dropped their weapons unanimously.

I hadn’t even realized that I had held my breath, but I let out then. A huge weight lifted off of my shoulders and tears stung my eyes. It was all finally over.

Cheers echoed over the Narnians and a smile spread over my face. I turned to face Peter and threw my arms around him. He hugged me back, his arm was still a little stiff from the duel with Miraz. I broke off the embrace and said, “Thank you.”

He grinned slightly, a shade of pink falling over his handsome face, as he nodded. His gaze looked over my head behind me. I followed his gaze to see Caspian. He stood stunned staring out at the river, ignoring the world around him. He was in shock. I walked to him and gently place a hand in his.

“Is it really over?” He asked, barely audible. His deep brown eyes searched mine for the answer.

“Yes.” I nodded, smiling. “We are free.”

It was now Caspian’s turn to smile. I embraced him tightly, tears now flowing freely. I could feel a wet spot forming on my shoulder. Caspian was apparently crying as well. After all of this time of fighting and plotting, we were truly free. 

_“I do not recall weeping.” The King interjected._

_“We both were, my love,” Aurina told him. “It was a joyous occasion.”_

_“It sounds wonderful,” The boy nodded. “But did you actually meet Aslan? What was He like?”_

_The old woman smiled as she looked out the window. “He was… everything you ever thought He would be. I shall never forget it.”_

The remaining Telmarines were ushered away and forced to remove their weapons by Narnian soldiers. Edmund, Susan, Peter, Caspian, and I did not pay attention to all of that. Our focus was on the Great Lion. We crossed the river and walked over to Aslan and Lucy.

Being near Him, that was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. I felt scared yet safe. The air around Him seemed to be much warmer. His eyes were a clear, golden color like the sun. Something made me want to tell Him everything that had ever happened to be or confess all the wrongs I have done. I quickly averted my eyes once His fell on me.

We stopped a few feet away from him and knelt in front of Him. I kept my eyes fixated on the ground in front of me. “Rise,” He said, His voice was deep and smooth. “Kings and Queens of Narnia.”

Edmund, Susan, and Peter rose to their feet, but Caspian and I did not move. “All of you.” Aslan insisted.

Caspian and I rose our heads, realizing that He had just referred to us as a King and Queen. “Us?” I repeated softly. “But we… we are not….” The words were caught in my throat.

“I do not think I am ready.” Caspian said flatly. I shot him a glance. I had not yet realized that Caspian and I were the new King and Queen of this new world. All of this time, I had fought against tyranny and Miraz, but it never occurred to me that we would be the ones to take over once the evil was defeated. What did we know about running a new country? Suddenly, I felt very overwhelmed and scared by the daunting task. I bowed my head in agreement.

“We are not ready.” I corrected.

“It’s for that very reason that I know you are.” Aslan told us. Caspian and I exchanged glances. We might not have had a clue what to do with this new role, but we had each other. I placed my hand in his and we both rose to our feet, a new sense of confidence sweeping over us.

Behind us, the sounds of quiet mournful music played. We all turned to see a small band of mice, carrying Reepicheep, the valiant mouse, on a small stretcher. It appeared as though he was gravely injured. It was like a funeral procession. The procession stopped in front of the Great Lion and Lucy, who immediately ran to the little warrior and pulled out her juice of the fireflower. She knelt down and place one tiny drop of the magical elixir into his mouth. After a small pause, Reepicheep exhaled dramatically and opened his eyes.

“Oh, thank you!” The mouse said gratefully slowly getting up from his stretcher. His movement was shaky as he slowly regained his consciousness. Once he saw the Lion before him, he stood up straighter. “All hail Aslan!” He tried to bow, but almost fell forward on his face. It was then that he realized that his tail had been cut off.

The little mouse flustered slightly, clearly embarrassed. “Oh, I’m completely out of continence!” I struggled to keep my chuckles quiet. He was adorable, even though he hated to be referred to as such. He looked to Lucy and gestured to her vial. “Perhaps a drop more?”

Lucy shook her head. “I don’t think it does that.”

“You could have a go.” Reepicheep encouraged.

Aslan chuckled slightly. “It becomes you.”

“All the same, Great King.” Reepicheep said. “I’m afraid I must withdraw.” He withdrew his sword and held it in his hands, offering towards Aslan. “For a tail is the honor and glory of a mouse.”

“Perhaps you think too much of your honor, friend.” Aslan countered.

“Well, it’s not just the honor.” Reepicheep defended. “It’s also great for balance. And climbing. And grabbing things.”

One of the mice from the procession stepped forward, also withdrawing his sword. “May it please you High Chief, we will not bear the shame for the sake of our leader.” All of the mice held their tails in one paw and held their swords up to it, waiting for the signal to cut off their tails. Reepicheep looked at his officers and appeared visibly touched.

“Not for the sake of your dignity.” Aslan announced. “But for the love of your people.” Within a blink of an eye, Reepicheep’s tail grew back to its normal length. It was a magical sight to behold.

Reepicheep looked and gasp in excitement as he looked upon his new tail. He held it out to his officers to see. “Look! Thank you, thank you, my liege.” The little mouse bowed graciously. Now all of us were chuckling at the little one’s enthusiasm. “I shall treasure it always. From this day forward, may it serve as a constant reminder of your graciousness.” Even Aslan let out a small chuckle.

“Now, where is this Dear Little Friend you have told me so much about?” Aslan asked Lucy. As if on cue, the little red dwarf approached timidly. He knelt down not making direct eye contact with the Lion. Aslan let out a loud roar, not as powerful as the one that conjured the water man earlier, but still enough to almost knock the little man over.

“Do you see him now?” Lucy asked, smiling brightly. Susan chuckled. Clearly, there was a joke that I was not privy to. But still, the red dwarf smiled heartily, the first time I had ever seen that.

“Go to Telmar,” Aslan instructed the dwarf. “Tell all you meet of the good news. That peace has come between Narnia and Telmar. Tell them to prepare,” The Lion then looked toward Caspian and I. “For their new King and Queen will be arriving soon.”

The dwarf nodded and went off on his way. “Kneel, Caspian.” Aslan instructed. “And you, Aurina.” Both of us stepped forward and knelt down. We continued to stare at the ground as the Lion walked toward us. He gently placed a large paw on each of our shoulders. His touch was gentle yet strong. I felt my entire body shake under His touch.

“Rise, Aurina the Warrior, Queen of Narnia.” I stood slowly, suddenly feeling like a new person. If only my father could have seen me then.

“Rise, Caspian the Loyal, King of Narnia.” As he stood, tears stung my eyes once again. He had finally become King. I had never felt prouder of him.

Aslan took a step back. “May your wisdom and determination bring light and prosperity to us all.”

“All hail the King and Queen!” We turned and saw Peter cheering for us, raising his sword in the air. I locked eyes with him. Only a few days ago, he would have been upset to be losing his crown. Now, he was genuinely happy.

“All hail the King and Queen!” Susan and Edmund repeated.

“All hail the King and Queen!” “All hail the King and Queen!” “All hail the King and Queen!” One by one, the Narnians and some of the Telmarine soldiers chanted and pledged their loyalty to us. It was an amazing feeling. I felt Caspian grab ahold of my hand, gripping it like he needed to keep himself upright. We exchanged glances and smiled widely. it was the first time we had truly felt happiness in a very long time.


	17. Chapter 16

We journeyed back to the Telmarine castle. As we neared the village, the people greeted us with cheers and flowers. Aslan held an official coronation ceremony at the castle. The castle had never been fuller of creatures and humans alike. It was there that Caspian and I announced our engagement. Narnians and Telmarines cheered their support for us. We even went parading around the village, showing off our new crowns and titles.

Throughout all of the excitement, I would feel Peter’s eyes on me. I tried my very best to not meet his gaze. I had a new responsibility to my people. I could not be distracted by anyone. When we had announced our engagement, I saw Peter look down at the ground, almost distraught. But he did his best to keep a stoic exterior, for the sake of the people. I couldn’t let the moment of weakness back at the How get in the way of the progress we were going to make with this new world.

That evening, we held a banquet in Caspian’s honor. As custom in Telmar, the festivities could not start until the man of honor arrived. I remember standing outside the banquet hall ready to be announced. “Are you ready?” I asked.

“Not even close.” He replied with a nervous smile.

I turned him towards me so I could fix his vest, since part of it had bunched in an odd way. “Do not be silly.” I told him, my hands gently smoothing out his vest. “You will be fine. Besides, you have me.” I joked.

He nodded. “I do. I cannot seem to get rid of you.”

I shook my head. “Nope. And you never will.” He chuckled slightly, and a brief pause fell over us. I stood on my toes and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Caspian.”

“And I you, Aurina.” He took a hold of my hand and placed a small kiss on it.

“Are you ready, my King?” A servant asked, poking his head out from behind the doors.

Without breaking eye contact with me, Caspian nodded. “I am.” I smiled.

“Announcing your new King, Caspian X, and his betrothed, Aurina, Daughter of the great Philipanol.” We grabbed a tight hold of each other’s hand and entered through the doors of the banquet hall. A small group of minstrels played as we entered and made our way to the head table on the other end of the hall. As we passed by the guests, they would bow, and we would greet them with a nod. People who we had known for years, and Narnian creatures we had only just met, all bowed to us. It was an incredible feeling. We passed by the former General Glozelle. He had a scar over his right eye from our last encounter, which made me smile slightly at the memory. After slight hesitation, he bowed his head. Caspian and I returned it with a nod; I did it out of politeness. In truth, I did not think he deserved to be here. But to do anything in this hall would be a foolish move. Glozelle was many things, but he was not a fool.

We continued to make our way to the head table. There sat Lucy and Peter on the right, and Susan and Edmund on the left. Two chairs sat in between them, meant for me and Caspian. Aslan stood just before the head table. After we passed by the other tables, we stopped in front of the Great Lion and knelt before Him.

“Tonight,” Aslan’s deep, smooth voice bounced off the walls of large room. It filled the room like wine in a glass. “We celebrate the death of tyranny. The death of evil. But we also celebrate a new world. A new way of life. One filled with peace and prosperity. One that will be led by our new King. Rise, new King, and take your rightful place at the table.” 

Caspian and I stood and walked separately. He turned to the left and I to the right. I first had to pass by Lucy, who bowed to me with a smile. It felt so strange having her bow before me. We were such good friends and I certainly did not feel above her in any way. As she rose, I flashed her a smile and wink. She returned a smile graciously. Then I came to Peter. He bowed slowly, as I tried not to blush. As he rose, his eyes locked onto mine. I forced myself to nod and continue on my way, trying to ignore the fact that my stomach was in knots.

Finally, Caspian and I met in the middle and stood at our place at the table. Caspian took a hold of the glass of wine in front of him and raised it high. “A toast to peace and wealth. But also a toast to those we have lost. May their deaths serve as a motivator to move forward and face what is to come with grace and determination.” The rest of us raised our glasses in solidarity and cheered, “Huzzah!” We then took a sip of our wine. “Please be seated.” Caspian instructed and we all obeyed.

“My father was a hero of mine.” Caspian began. “He was an honest man who worked tirelessly for his people. I remember once I had asked him about his favorite thing about being King. He told me that a King is only as good as his people. He never saw himself above anyone. Everyone was equal. That is part of the reason why I was very hesitant to take the throne initially. I did not think that I could live up to the expectations and legacy that he had laid before me. In fact, there was a time that I was planning on renouncing my claim.” A slight murmur fell over the hall. Caspian turned to me. “But luckily, I had a good friend to convince me otherwise. Or rather, she yelled at me and threatened to run me through with her sword.” Laughter erupted, even I could not help but laugh. “But she then told me that my hesitation is why I would make a good king. That the fact that I was so concerned about doing the throne justice was enough to make me a ruler worth fighting for.” Tears threatened my eyes, but I did not let them fall. Instead, I smiled widely. Caspian turned back to the crowd. “Today, I make the same vow as my father did. To protect, to serve, and to ensure everyone in my kingdom is equal. I may not be the same man as my father was, but I will work endlessly for you. Not to improve my own position, but for your own. We are all in a unique situation. Only a few weeks ago, Narnians were merely fairytales and stories. Telmarines lived separately from them. But now, I look forward to working with Narnians and Telmarines alike. Our ancestors were once peaceful with each other. I am confident that we may do it again. This is our home. All I ask of you is to help me to make this new world one that we can all be proud of. I know that I do not have all of the answers. But I am willing to listen, to learn, to come up with solutions. That is the kind of man my father raised me to be. And it is the kind of King that I will work to be.”

The tears that once stung my eyes were flowing freely now. I felt such profound pride and joy. I grabbed my glass again and raised it. “Long live the King!” I called through happy tears.

“Long live the King!” The hall echoed, followed by cheers and clapping. I stood and embraced Caspian tightly.

“Stop weeping. Someone might see.” Caspian whispered in my ear.

“I care not.” I replied. “I am so proud of you.”

The feast began shortly after. Wine practically poured like a river throughout the hall. I conversed with Caspian, reminiscing about our childhoods and telling the Kings and Queens of Old all of the funny and embarrassing stories of our youth. That was one of the happiest nights of my life. I remember laughing heartily and smiling almost the whole evening. But I also remember feeling like something was missing. I could not place it and I was not about to ruin the merriment of the night.

Instead, I managed to grab a bottle of wine and stumble away. I wandered down the halls of the castle that I had grown up in. The halls that I hid from Miraz, or pulled pranks on the Professor or servants. And yet it felt different. Something was missing. Eventually, I found myself in the garden. I couldn’t help but laugh. Of course, I would end up there. That is where I would go to do my best thinking and my feet must have remembered the way and took over.

Walking to the balcony that overlooked the village below, I took a sip of wine pensively. Down below echoed more sounds of merriment. People were singing and laughing and dancing in the streets. Everyone was so happy. So why wasn’t I?

“Mind if I join?” A voice caused me to jump, nearly dropping the bottle. I looked and saw Peter walking towards me. In his hand, he too had a bottle of wine. His yellow hair glowed in the moonlight. My stomach still turned in knots whenever I saw him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” He smiled, making my stomach turn tighter.

“You did not. I just was not expecting anyone to be here.” I sighed.

“And I was not expecting you to wander away from the party.” He leaned on the balcony next to me. “I would’ve thought you would be down there telling me more stories of how Caspian used to cut himself he drew his sword.”

A laugh escaped me and I relaxed a bit. “He used to be so pitiful. I would always laugh at him, which just made him angry. But we always had fun together.”

A pause fell over us. “So why are you out here then?” Peter asked, willing me to look at him.

I did my best to keep my eyes on the village below, worried that if I were to meet his eyes, I would tell all of my secrets. “Just thinking.” I replied.

“About what?”

I rolled my eyes and shot him a look. “Are you always this nosy?”

He shrugged. “I’m told that I’m caring, but you can call it being nosy, I suppose.” I laughed again. “Really, though.” He insisted. “Something’s bothering you. I can tell. Please tell me.”

There was a begging quality to his voice, something about it made me lower my guard. I sighed deeply and let the words pour out of me. “My whole life has been full of war and battles. For almost as far back as I can remember, I have been fighting. Mainly against Miraz, but also fighting for Caspian and justice. Fighting to end tyranny and corruption. Now, Miraz is dead. All of Miraz’s followers are dead or have since surrendered and agreed to live peacefully. The war is over and justice has been restored.”

“And you miss the war.” Peter finished.

This time, I could not help but look at him. I shrugged my shoulders. “I hardly know what to do with myself anymore. I know that I am fighter, but now… there’s nothing and no one to fight. And I almost feel… empty. That must make me sound crazy.”

“No, I get it. I used to feel the same way.” Peter turned and sat down on a bench behind us. “After we fought the White Witch, we had several years of peace. Ever since I had first come to Narnia I was fighting against something. Then I became King and suddenly I wasn’t fighting anyone. I had never been in a position of power before and I hardly knew Narnia without having a war looming over it.”

“What did you do then?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I just realized that it wasn’t that I was fighting against anyone. But rather fighting _for_ something. I was able to fight to maintain the peace. If anyone or anything threatened that peace I could fight to protect it. So maybe you just need to change your thinking. Don’t think about fighting against something. Fight for something. Fight for the people.”

I nodded and stared down at the bottle in my hand. “How can I do that? I will only be a queen.”

“Well,” He swallowed some wine before continuing. “From what I understand, there is an opening for a general of the newly united Telmarine and Narnian army.”

This caused me to pause. “Queen General Aurina.” I said aloud. “I quite like the sound of that.”

Peter smiled. “If you train your soldiers like you trained me, I have no doubt that you would make a fantastic general.”

A blush swept over my face. I turned slightly, hoping he didn’t see. “Well, a teacher is only as good as her student.”

“Hard to argue with a teacher with a sword in her hand.” He raised a teasing eyebrow.

Nodding, I said, “I would not recommend arguing with or without a sword in my hand.” I sat down next to him on the bench.

“Yes, my Queen.” We both laughed. Then a comfortable silence fell over us. Each of us taking turns sipping from our bottles.

Finally, Peter spoke. “Aurina?” I met his eyes in response. “I need to ask you something. Something that is rather difficult to say and hear, but I feel like I might go mad.” He paused for a moment before asking, “Are you really going to wed Caspian?”

I scoffed at the question. “Of course, I am. I promised I would.”

“But is that what you really want?”

My stomach turned as a warning. I did not like where this was going. “Peter.” I stood and walked back towards the balcony, hoping to avoid the conversation.

“Please, Aurina, just listen.” I heard Peter follow behind me.

“No.” I snapped, facing him once again. “I do not want to talk about it.”

“You mean you don’t want to talk about what happened back at the How?” Peter challenged.

I set my jaw. “Nothing happened. Nothing but a brutal war.”

“Then why did you kiss me?”

I looked around and leaned in closely. “Keep your voice down. Do you want someone to hear you?”

Peter did not take the hint. “Why did you kiss me, Aurina?”

“As I recall, you kissed me.”

“But you kissed me back.”

Sighing, I replied. “I had… a moment of weakness. That is all it was.”

“A moment of weakness?” Peter chuckled bitterly. “That’s what you want to call it?”

“I thought you were going to die, Peter. I did not want you to think that you were alone. I was worried for your safety and Caspian’s and… I was not thinking it through.”

He shook his head. “Will you just stop? Why can’t you be honest with me? Or yourself for that matter?”

“I am being honest.” I defended.

“No, you’re not.” He said intently. “No, because I know that you felt something. You haven’t made direct eye contact with me ever since we got here. You’ve avoided me. Why can’t you just tell me how you feel?” I kept shaking my head, refusing to speak or listen. “Fine. Then, I’ll start.” He continued. “I like you, Aurina.” Letting out a sigh of frustration, I rolled my eyes and tried to walk away. “No, you’re going to listen to me for once.” He grabbed my arm, but I did not look at him. “Every time I’m near you, it’s like I can’t breathe. I can’t stop thinking about you. Even sitting in that bloody banquet hall, all I wanted to do was reach out and touch you, but I couldn’t and it killed me. Do you want to know what helped me defeat Miraz? The real reason? I fought hard against him because I knew that if I lost he would have killed you.” I felt tears in the corners of my eyes, but I closed my eyes willing them back into my head. “I would have never forgiven myself if I let him hurt you. Please, Aurina. Just tell me how you feel. I need to know that this isn’t just in my head.”

Taking a deep breath, I said, “You seem to keep conveniently forgetting something, Peter.” I worked up enough courage to look at him finally. His blue eyes were soft and pleading. “I am betrothed to Caspian. We announced it to everyone today. There is nothing that either of us can do about it. So you may feel however you like. But I am going to marry Caspian.” I wrenched my arm from his grip. “I made a promise to my father on his death bed. I have never broken a promise before and I am certainly not going to start now.”

“From what I understand,” Peter countered, taking a step toward me. “Your father was just trying to make sure that you were taken care of after he was gone. He wanted to make sure that your future was protected. I think that’s why he made you promise to marry Caspian.”

“You did not know my father.” I spat. “How you dare speculate on what his intentions were.”

“Wouldn’t he want you to be happy?”

“And you think that being with you would make me happy?”

“Would it?”

I did not have an answer. “I am not going to break a promise with my father. That may not be what you want you to hear, but it is going to happen whether you want it to or not.”

“Forget about that for a minute. Tell me how you feel right now.” I shook my head and took a step away from him. He grabbed me by both of my arms and forced me to look at him. “Stop avoiding the question and just tell me how you feel. Tell me. Please.”

A single tear rolled down my cheek. “What do you want me to say, Peter?”

The grip on my arms weakened slightly but held fast. His voice softened. “Do you feel the same way for me as I feel for you? If you don’t, then tell me now and I promise that I’ll leave and I’ll never bother you ever again and-“

I cut him off, placing my lips onto his and holding him tightly. He wrapped his arms around me, securing me to him, and deepened the kiss. For once, I ignored the guilt feeling that picked at the back of my head. I didn’t want to do the “right” thing. I wanted to be with Peter. I felt safe in his arms, like I was always meant to be there. We clung to each other, desperate to be closer. Finally, we broke apart to catch our breath.

For a moment, we just stood there, resting our foreheads together, gasping for breath. My mind was still racing. Part of it could have been due to the wine but I could have sworn my entire body felt awake.

“Aurina, I…” Peter finally started to say. But I placed a finger over his lips and hushed him.

“Please, don’t say anything.” I leaned away from him just enough to look him in his sea blue eyes. “I don’t want to think or worry or plan or anything right now. I just want to be with you. Let us forget about everything else and just be with each other. Let us stay here in this moment for as long as we can. Alright?”

He nodded and kissed me again.

It is hard to for me to recall exactly what happened after that, but all I know is that I had never felt more content.

_“You loved him.” The boy stated rather than asked._

_The old woman’s eyes were looking off in the distance as if she was watching her memories from afar. She nodded slowly. “I have never felt that way for anyone else since.”_

_The boy couldn’t help but feel a little defensive for his father. “So what happened? Why did you marry father after all? And not Peter?”_

_She paused, reaching for a plant next to her and fiddling with a leaf. She had of course lied to her son. Every moment of that night she remembered it all as if it had happened yesterday. She had led Peter back to her room, barely taking two steps before stealing a kiss or two and continuing on their way. They giggled like scheming children, looking around to see if anyone was watching them. Finally, they stumbled into her bedchambers. She quietly shut the door, as she felt his hands run over her arms. She leaned into his touch, closing her eyes to savor him. “You’re so beautiful.” He had whispered in her ear, which sent shivers up and down her spine. She spun around and pulled his face to hers. His hands explored her as if she was fine art. She had never felt so admired._

_“Mother?” The boy placed a hand on her wrinkled, delicate hands. The woman was brought back to the present and looked at her son. The young man could have sworn that she was seeing someone else when he looked at him. “What happened next?” He repeated._


	18. Chapter 17

I stumbled my way to the dining hall to meet Caspian for breakfast the next morning. He was sitting at the head of the table conversing with Edmund on his right. Susan sat on the left side and conversed with Lucy who sat next to her. On the other side of Edmund sat Peter, who was quietly listening to Susan’s story. He had changed out of clothes from the night before thankfully. Once I entered the room, all conversation ceased and they all looked at me. Purposefully avoiding eye contact with Peter, I quietly said, “Sorry I am late.” Then I made my way to sit next to Lucy.

“Aurina, there is an open spot next to Peter,” Caspian gestured to the empty chair next to the man I had spent the night with.

“If it is alright with you, I would much rather sit next to Lucy.” I stammered, looking anywhere but at Peter.

“Nonsense,” Caspian waved a dismissive hand. He scooped up some food with his fork nonchalantly, clearly was not noticing my hesitance. “It will be hard for me to hear you from all the way over there. Peter does not mind, do you?”

“Of course not.” Peter answered. I worked so hard not to blush as I nodded. There was no way I could convince anyone that I did not want to sit next to Peter without hinting about last night. Quietly, I walked to the empty chair and sat, ignoring Peter’s intense gaze.

A servant placed a hot plate of food in front of me, and I immediately dove in to eat. The food had provided a good excuse not to talk or look at Peter. And perhaps it would cure the ache in my head from all of the wine I had consumed the night before.

“Aurina?” Caspian called. I looked up mid bite. “I asked you where you disappeared to last night. I tried to look for you but you were nowhere to be seen.”

I swallowed thickly. “I was just so tired. I did not want to interrupt the festivities, so I quietly excused myself. I am sorry if I worried you.”

“Ah,” He nodded. “Exhaustion after the battle. It must have been contagious because Peter did the same thing.”

A piece of food almost got stuck in my throat and I coughed slightly into a napkin. I took a large gulp of water to wash it down. “Did he now?” I asked, still not looking at Peter and maintaining a level voice as much as I could. I felt a foot rub my foot underneath the table. Peter! I lifted my foot and brought it down with a quiet force that made him jump and cry out.

“Ah!” He gasped, causing everyone else to look at him strangely. “Yes, I did go to bed early. Ed, you know how tired I get after battles.”

I suddenly found my plate to be very interesting and kept my focus on it.

“Well, I hope that you both are rested enough for today.” Caspian said, swallowing. “Because I have a task for the both of you.”

“And what is that?” Peter asked flatly, a small hint of caution in his voice.

“Aurina, Peter came up with the brilliant idea of making you the General of our Army.”

This caused me to break my focus from my plate. “He did?” I asked. I grew nervous of what else Peter might have told Caspian.

“Yes, so this morning,” Caspian explained. “I would like both you and Peter to gather some soldiers and officers and start to train them. See what they know and what they need to learn. Trumpkin and the centaurs have already agreed to train with you.”

“Why would you like me to go?” Peter asked.

Caspian almost looked shocked that he had asked this. “You have lead many battles and organized many soldiers during your reign. You might be able to provide Aurina with some knowledge or expertise on the subject.”

“Really, Caspian,” I chimed in. “I think I can manage on my own.”

He rolled his eyes. “Aurina, I know how you like to work alone, but I truly think that the two of you will work well together.” He flashed me a quick wink that I almost missed. I wanted to run him through with my sword in that moment. The foolish man was purposefully trying to get me to spend more time with Peter. He may or may not have known about last night, but he was still trying to play games with me. I swore that I would get revenge on him later.

“I think we will, too.” Peter said turning to face me. But again I did not meet his eyes. There was no use in arguing here. But I figured that I could control myself. It was Peter that I was truly worried about.

The rest of the meal went smoothly. I was able to ignore the glances that Peter tried to steal in my direction and converse normally with everyone.

Soon, I excused myself and went to go to the courtyard and begin the training. I had to go to the armory and pick out a few different swords. I had lost quite a few daggers and swords in the battle the day before. After selecting a few decent daggers and swords, I made my way to the courtyard.

Before I was able to get there, however, someone grabbed from behind. He placed a hand over my mouth and pulled me into a spare room. I reached for one of the smaller daggers I had just picked out and spun around, bringing the dagger up to the assailant’s neck. I was stunned to see Peter shocked face, holding his hands up in surrender. A teasing light twinkled in his sea blue eyes.

“Is this a bad time?” He asked with a grin.

“What do you think you are doing, scaring me like that?” I asked in a hushed tone. “I could have killed you.”

“You wouldn’t have killed me. I know you wouldn’t have.” Peter leaned in for a kiss, but I pushed him away still holding out my dagger.

“Are you insane? You are going to get us both in trouble.” I kept glancing at the door, expecting someone to burst in on us at any moment.

“Can you please put the dagger away?” He asked.

I shook my head and held it higher. “Not until you promise to stop this game you are trying to play.”

“It’s not a game, Aurina. I would have thought that after last night…”

“Last night never happened. Do you understand me? _Nothing_ happened.”

He searched my face for a second. “What changed? Last night, you told me that you didn’t want to think or worry. You told me that you cared for me and then the next thing I knew you were pushing me out the door. Now all of a sudden you shudder away from me. Did I do something to upset you?”

Sighing, I finally tucked the dagger in my dress. “Last night was a mistake. I should not have led you to believe that anything could happen between us and I am sorry for that. Truly. But we cannot be together, Peter. We just… can’t.”

“Why not?” He asked, not willing to give up. There goes that stubbornness again. “What is so wrong with us being together? Just tell Caspian that you don’t love him and-“

“It is not that simple, Peter.” I said. “Do you not understand? I vowed to my father that I would marry him.” Peter started to roll his eyes, but I continued. “Do not roll your eyes at me. Listen. Not only did I make a vow to my dying father, but I made a vow to Caspian. Not to mention that we also made the announcement yesterday to the rest of the kingdom. Everyone knows that I am promised to him. If I were to go to Caspian today and break this promise, I would be publicly ruined. I would be called a hypocrite and adulterer by every Telmarine subject, and my family’s name will be destroyed. Not only would it tarnish my family’s reputation, but it would also damage your family’s. You would not be seen as the Kings and Queens of Old, the leaders of the Golden Age. Instead, you would be seen as liars. Now, I am not willing to put either of our reputations at risk no matter how we may feel for each other.”

Peter raised his head slightly, a new twinkle in his eye. “So you do care for me?” He said.

Now, I rolled my eyes. “Were you not just listening to me?”

“Yes, yes. I understand all of that.” He waved a dismissive hand. “You may forget this, but I know how politics work. But you’re asking me to act like I don’t care for you. Like I don’t think about you every waking moment. Like I don’t want to be near you every second of every day. Because I can’t do that, Aurina.”

“You do not have a choice. If you care about your family at all, we will end… whatever this is now and never speak of it again. Hopefully, no one will find out that way.”

Peter remained silent, his arms crossed and eyebrows knitted together in thought. He stared down at the ground pensively weighing all of his options. “Then, let’s not tell anyone.” He finally said aloud.

I gave him an incredulous look. “What?” Surely, this man was mad.

“We can’t be together publicly, right? So, why not just keep it hidden? We can keep all of this secret and… and you can still marry Caspian.”

“That is too risky,” I said shaking my head. “Not to mention, we would be lying to everyone.”

“I’m willing to risk it. I will share any moment I can have with you, stolen or not.”

I took a few steps back and ran a hand through my hair. “No, I simply am not willing to risk it. This is all… simply an infatuation. I think it is best if we both try to control ourselves and, for the sake of our families, it will be better for everyone if we forget that any… events have transpired between us.” Turning my back to him, I hoped that he would agree and take his cue to leave.

But I heard him take a couple steps towards me. “Tell me to leave, then.” His voice was barely above a whisper. “If you truly do not feel anything for me, tell me you never want to see me again. Tell me you don’t feel this.” I felt him stand almost directly behind me. He ran a hand gently up my arm, shivers following after his hand like ripples in water. “Tell me to stop and I will.” His other hand wrapped itself around my waist, hugging me close to him. A gasp escaped from me at the close contact. I couldn’t help but lean into his touch. It was like my body was experiencing a war of its own, half wanting to melt into him, but the other half was trying to resist. “Tell me to stop.” He whispered in my ear, followed by peppering kisses down my neck and my shoulder. My skin came alive under his kisses, my breath catching in my throat. “Do you want me to stop?”

“No.” I finally found my voice and turned to kiss him. As much as I tried to fight it, I knew that I could not resist him. There was a force that seemed to keep pushing us together. I felt complete in his embrace, like I was always meant to be there.

I finally broke away from him for breath. “If someone were to find out…”

“No one will find out.” He said, cradling my head in his hands. “We will be careful. I promise.”

I let out a small chuckle. “You are trouble, Peter.”

“Yes,” He answered with a smile. “But as long we have each other, I think we will be fine. Now, I think we have some soldiers who are expecting us.” He placed a chaste kiss on my forehead.

I nodded and broke free, though he grabbed ahold of my hand affectionately. “But that means you have to be on your best behavior.” I teased.

“Yes, ma’am.” He leaned down to place a kiss on my hand, but I managed to wrench it from his grip.

I held up a tutting finger. “Starting now.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You are no fun.” I giggled and turned on my heels, Peter following close behind me. As we emerged from our hiding spot, I tried to suppress the skip I felt in my steps.

_“I knew it. You were sneaking around the whole time.” Caspian’s teasing smile planted on his handsome, yet wrinkled face._

_Aurina blushed. “You did not know.”_

_“You two could not have been more obvious.” He slowly leaned back with a grunt. His old age limited his movement. “You think I did not notice all the stolen glances and the fact that your face changed color when you were in the same room as him.”_

_“And what of you and Susan? Or Lilliandil for that matter?” This time, Caspian blushed._

_The boy looked affectionately between his parents. They had also had a rapport that was a teasing, yet loving style. It was something he had always admired about their relationship. “Who is Lilliandil?” He asked his father._

_His father stopped and waved his hand. “That is a story for a different day. Besides, your mother is about to tell the best part of the story, I think.”_

_The boy’s mother hesitated. “This is… the part that I have been meaning to tell you for some time now.”_

_Her son leaned forward and listened intently._

Peter and I continued to sneak around for the next couple of days. It became a well-practiced routine. The two of us spent most of the day organizing training sessions and setting up the new army. Of course, during these times, we would certain to not show any indication that we were interested in each other, aside from the occasional teasing. Sometimes, I would make excuses to be near him, fixing his form or challenge him to a duel for practice. We did our best to keep our relationship a secret in public.

We would often meet up in the old playroom before training sessions. Behind closed doors, we could not be separated. We were pulled to each other, lost in our own world. Until one day, it all changed.

Peter and I had figured out how to avoid being caught if he spent the night in my bedchambers. Most of it involved convincing the maids to come later in the morning. That morning, I remember waking up to complete bliss. I had opened my eyes and saw him facing me, still in a dream state. His handsome face relaxed, yellow hair a matted mess from sleep, a slight grin formed on his mouth. He looked so content. Eventually, his eyes slowly opened, revealing the sea beneath.

“Good morning.” I whispered, reaching up to smooth out some of his hair.

“Good morning.” His arm wrapped around mine. “How do you always look so beautiful?”

I laughed and kissed him gently. “You must bring it out in me.” He smiled sleepily. I always admired the way he slowly woke up. “You better go before the maids come.”

He sighed deeply. “I only wish we could stay here forever.” He cupped my face affectionately.

A small twitch of guilt tugged at my heart. It was hard to be secret about our feelings for each other. But it was for the greater good. At least that’s what I told myself. “Why don’t we go on a trip?” I said, thinking aloud. “A small little trip into the woods. Away from people and responsibilities. Just you and me. We can say that we are going on a scouting trip to make sure that everyone is complying with this new kingdom.”

He considered this for a moment. “When would we leave?”

“This afternoon, perhaps? What do you think?”

A smile formed on his face once again. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. As long as I’m with you, I don’t care where we go.”

I kissed him once again, a new excitement building in me. In my head, I formed a plan on how to ask Caspian for this trip, rehearsing over the exact words that I would say.

When I left for breakfast, I muttered under my breath, planning my conversation with Caspian. As usual, I was the last to arrive for breakfast. However, this time, Peter was sitting next to Susan on Caspian’s right with Edmund and Lucy to the left. I chose to sit across from Peter, sneaking a slight wink at him as I sat down.

A servant brought me my food, and Caspian asked, “How are the training sessions going?”

“Quite well,” Peter answered. “Aurina makes an excellent general.”

I shoved food in my mouth to suppress the urge to smile or blush. “We have promising warriors.” I said embarrassed. “And Peter has helped a great deal.”

“See?” Caspian said. “And you were worried about working with him. I knew you would be able to succeed.”

“Will I be able to come today?” Edmund asked. “I should like to see how you run things.”

“Of course.” I agreed.

“I think I might join you, Ed.” Susan added. “Perhaps I can lead an archery division.”

At that moment, the doors opened and warm air filled the room. We all looked to see Aslan entering the room. Without thinking, we all stood and bowed, greeting the Great Lion. He was not normally present at meals, so this was an unusual occurrence.

“Today, I should like to hold a gathering at the Twisted Tree for all the villagers.” Aslan spoke, His honey-like voice filling the room.

“I will arrange it.” Caspian said.

“What is it about, Aslan?” Lucy asked.

“I will be offering a new life for those Telmarines that wish to start anew.” He turned His massive head to Susan and Peter. His golden eyes boring into them. “Peter and Susan, I wish to speak with you alone.”

He turned to leave without another word. We all looked at each other, wondering what He would want to talk to them about. Peter gave me a “don’t worry” look and followed after the Great Lion, Susan not too far behind him. I do recall having an uneasy feeling about the whole thing.

“What do you suppose that was about?” Lucy asked aloud once they left.

“I have no idea.” Caspian answered. “But I shall go make the arrangements for the gathering.”

Because of the last-minute meeting, I decided not to press on the idea of Peter and I taking our trip. I went to the training session, expecting to see Peter there waiting for me. But he was not. He never came. Edmund came by, but no Susan. He said that he had not seen either of them since they disappeared with Aslan. I started to grow worried. I cut the training session short and went to look for him. I wandered the courtyard until I saw Caspian standing looking at something.

“Caspian,” I called. As I neared him, I saw what he was looking at. Susan and Peter stood on the other side of the courtyard, Aslan standing between them. They looked over at us expectantly. I locked eyes with Peter and felt a strange sense that something was wrong. The usual fire underneath the blue was gone. A thin layer of moisture covered them instead. He almost looked distraught.

“We are ready.” Caspian finally said. “Everyone has assembled.”

Susan and Peter exchanged sad looks and continued to walk with Aslan. My stomach turned uncomfortably.

“I have a bad feeling about this.” I said aloud.

“So do I. But I suppose we will find out soon enough.” Caspian then turned and walked to the stables. We had to leave for the gathering now.


	19. Chapter 18

The Twisted Tree was an old tree in the village square. It got its name from its twisted looking trunk. According to legend, a wise man once planted a piece of the past and the future. From those pieces grew the two trees, growing more intertwined as years went on. It is said that those who untwisted the tree would find the key to happiness. It was also common gathering place for the villagers. This was where Aslan would hold his mysterious gathering.

Peter was nowhere to be found as we readied ourselves for the short journey. I was to ride my horse next to Caspian to the Twisted Tree, but I kept looking around for the former High King of Narnia. Finally, I felt Caspian grab a hold of my hand and squeezing it. “They will be here.” He assured me. 

Aslan, Peter, and Susan joined us then. Neither Peter nor Susan would look anywhere but the ground in front of them. I wanted nothing more but to grab ahold of his hand or hold him close, asking what was wrong. But with so many eyes, I stood still, wishing for one of them to give me a sign of hope.

“Let us begin our journey.” Aslan announced. Silently, the three led our group on foot. Caspian and I mounted our horses and walked them behind Peter and Susan, who trailed slightly behind Aslan. Lucy and Edmund also rode horses, behind Caspian and I.

“What’s wrong with them?” I heard Lucy whisper to her brother. “Why do they look so sad?”

“I have no idea.” Edmund whispered back. I couldn’t help but bite my lower lip. My eyes burned a hole at the back of Peter’s head. I knew that he could sense me looking at him, but he did not acknowledge me. The bad feeling only grew the closer we got to the gathering place. When we dismounted our horses, I gripped Caspian’s hand tightly, mostly for support.

The villagers stood at the gathering place. The Tree stood at the edge of a cliff. There was a slight landing that was raised above the street, a perfect place for a gathering. The villagers were standing with a slight path laid out for us to walk. They bowed as we passed. I struggled to maintain a stoic face so it would not worry the villagers.

We walked to the landing, Aslan stood off to the left motioning Caspian to come to him. After one last assuring squeeze of the hand, I let go of him and stood to his right. Susan, Peter, Lucy, and Edmund stood next to me in a line. Peter was next to me. I longed to grab his hand, but I couldn’t with all of the villagers’ eyes on us. Caspian and Aslan spoke privately for a moment, and so I saw an opportunity to try and communicate with Peter. I tried to lock eyes with him, but he refused to meet my gaze. “Peter, what is wrong?” I whispered to him.

He did not answer. Instead, he locked his eyes on the ground in front of him. Lucy at that point grabbed a hold of his hand and tugged on it slightly. “Peter?” She asked, her eyes begging him to look at her. Still, the man stood still, with no sound or sign that he could even hear us.

Caspian took a step forward to address the crowd, making us all turn our gaze to him. “Welcome, one and all.” He projected. “I thank you all for gathering here on such short notice. The purpose of this gathering is to offer you a new life.” A slight murmur trickled through the crowd. “Narnia belongs to the Narnians, just as it does to man. All those who choose to stay and live in peace are welcome to. But to those who wish, Aslan will return you to the land of our forefathers.”

“It’s been generations since we left Telmar.” A villager commented.

“We are not referring to Telmar.” Aslan spoke up. “Your ancestors were pirates, sea-faring brigins run aground. It was there on that island that they found a cave, a rare chasm that transported them from their world to here. The same world as our Kings and Queens came from.” Now the crowd gave out cries of shock, as was I. I looked to the four siblings in awe. Had we really descended from their world all along? Lucy and Edmund appeared just as shocked by this news, and looked to their older siblings, who still refused to look at anyone.

“It is to that island that I can return you to.” Aslan continued. “It is a good place for anyone who wishes to make a new start.”

The villagers looked at each other, but no one stepped forward. Until a voice called out, “I will go.” Villagers turned to reveal the former General Glozelle. “I will accept the offer.” He announced, stepping forward. He paused slightly as he passed in front of Caspian. Caspian bowed his head and acknowledged his decision, and Glozelle, after a slight hesitation, bowed his head in return. Glozelle then stood before the five of us. Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund all bowed, but I did not. Instead, I kept my head still, glaring at the former general. The man averted his eyes from me, seemingly as a sign of remorse, but I was not about to forgive him. In truth, I was glad that he was leaving. He was not trustworthy. But I heard my father’s disapproving voice in my head, telling me how royals have a sense of duty to adhere to, and so I nodded to him stiffly.

“So will we.” I looked to see Auntie Pruna step forward. She held her son and was accompanied by one of the former Lords of the Council. They stood before Caspian and bowed. Ever since the war ended, she had reportedly fled to the village, trying to hide from persecution.

“Because you have spoken first,” Aslan said. “Your future will be fruitful.” He then breathed on them, as he did a slight breeze rushed over the gathering place. Behind us a large crack sounded. We all turned and watched in awe as the Twisted Tree began to move slowly. Branches and twigs snapping and groaning at the movement. It appeared to be untwisting. The crowd cried out as the tree untwisted enough to form a slight opening, almost like a door. If I had not witnessed it, I would not have believed it. From the gasps in the crowd, I could tell many in attendance that day were thinking the same thing.

I turned back to see Glozelle and Auntie Pruna bowing before Aslan, walking to the opening. My glare did not waiver on Glozelle, who continued to avoid my gaze. But then my eyes fell on Auntie Pruna and her child. Our eyes locked and a wave of sympathy swept over me. I should hate this woman. She was married to my worst enemy, and was almost a willing participant to his whole rise to power. But she was always so friendly and warm to us. Before I could recognize what was happening, I found myself wrapping my arms around her. We held each other tightly until we felt the wiggle of her infant child between us. “Take care of him.” I said, giving her a wet smile. Despite everything that had happened between Miraz and me, I could not blame her.

“Take care of each other,” She said, cupping the side of my face. I nodded and watched as she followed after Glozelle, the Lord who accompanied her close behind her.

The four of them walked slowly, almost cautiously to the opening in the Tree. Then, as they stepped through the arch, they disappeared, vanished into the thin air. It happened so quickly, that it was almost hard to process the scene as a whole. The villagers let out another cry of shock. Even I let out a gasp. “How do we know he is not leading us to our death?” A villager questioned. Many around him nodded and cried out in agreement.

“Why do they think He would do that?” I heard Lucy ask aloud.

“They’re Telmarines.” I answered her. “Always cynical until given a sign of good faith.”

I saw Peter and Susan exchange looks, the first time they had looked anyone in the eye in a long time. Then, Peter stepped forward and said the words that broke my world: “We’ll go.”

There was no use in hiding my shock now. “We will?” Edmund asked before I could. Was he really thinking about leaving?

Peter turned and looked at his younger siblings, purposefully avoiding my gaze. “Come on. Our time’s up.” Then he walked to Caspian and unhooked his sword from his belt. “After all, we’re not really needed here anymore.” He held out his sword to Caspian, who stood there shocked.

My heart ached and I felt the air leave my body. I wished more than anything that this was all some sort of cruel practical joke. That at any moment he would snicker and tell us all that it was not real. But I knew as well as everyone else: This was no joke. Caspian grabbed hold of Peter’s sword and looked his friend in the eye. “I will look after it until you return.” He swore.

“I’m afraid that’s just it.” Susan spoke up. “We’re not coming back.” I felt as though I would faint. Tears started to itch at the corner of my eyes. It couldn’t be. I looked to Peter, who at long last met my gaze. There was a mournful sorrow in his blue eyes. He was silently apologizing to me, as I studied every corner of his face, committing it to memory.

“We’re not?” Lucy asked.

“You two are.” Peter answered, tearing his eyes from mine to address his siblings. But then he faces Aslan again. “At least I think he means you two.”

“But why?” Lucy asked the Great Lion. “Did they do something wrong?”

My stomach dropped. Was this punishment for my hidden affair with Peter? “Quite the opposite.” Aslan answered. “But your brother and sister have learned what they can from this world. Now it is time for them to live in theirs.”

I looked to Caspian, hoping that he would do something to stop this from happening. He looked as shocked as everyone else. His eyes met mine for a brief moment, both of us wishing that this was not happening.

“It’s alright, Lu.” Peter assured his little sister. He reached for her hand to comfort her. “It’s not how I thought it would be. But it’s alright.” He looked to me again, but I averted my eyes from him. Anger boiled inside of me. “One day, you will see it, too.” He motioned for them to start saying their goodbyes.

My eyes blinked fast, trying to keep the tears from falling anymore. But it was in vain of course. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Aurina.” Susan said softly. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way.”

“Then do something about it.” I told her. “Tell him you do not want to leave. Do something.”

Susan shushed me. “Aslan is right. Our time has come. We have our own responsibilities back home. Besides, you had to have known that we wouldn’t stay forever.”

“The last time you were here, you stayed for a hundred years.” I countered. I gave up trying to stop my tears. “I knew you would leave, but I did not expect it so soon.”

“Aurina,” She soothed. She wrapped her arms around me and I choked back a sob. I held her close. “I am so grateful for everything you have done.”

“Don’t forget us.” I pleaded.

Breaking our embrace, she met my eyes. Her eyes were almost exactly like Peter’s, a cool ocean blue with specks of gold sewn into them. “Never.”

Just behind her, I noticed Caspian staring at us, more specifically Susan. “I think there is someone else who wishes to say goodbye.” I said. She nodded and walked to Caspian.

Edmund came over and held out a hand for me to shake. But I threw my arms around him and embraced him. At first, he stiffened, clearly surprised, but then he wrapped his arms around me. “Take care of yourself and your family.” I told him.

“Until we meet again.” He nodded, grinning.

“I look forward to it.” I told him.

Lucy then ran over to me and embraced me. “I will miss you terribly.” She said.

“And I you.” I told her. She let go of me and reached for her belt. “Here, I want you to have this.” She held out her vial of the fireflower juice.

“No,” I shook my head and tried to push it away. “I couldn’t…”

“You must.” She stubbornly unfolded my hand and placed the small vial on it. “I wouldn’t want anyone else to have this.”

I was touched by her generosity. “I will give this back to you when you come back.” I promised. She nodded and hugged me again.

As we hugged, I felt someone approach. I looked and saw Peter looking down on us. Lucy must have sensed him for she finally let go of me. “Take good care of yourself. And Caspian.” She told me.

I could only nod, my voice having left my body. She turned to leave and I stood and faced my lover. We stood for a brief moment, memorizing each other. Then, I could not hold myself back. I flung myself into his arms and sobbed freely. I took in his scent and savored the feeling of his embrace. He held me close, his hand rubbing my back. Very discreetly, he placed a kiss on my shoulder. “Please don’t leave me.” I begged him.

“I have to.” He whispered back.

“Don’t say that.” I broke his embrace and cupped his cheek. “Don’t act like you do not have choice. We can still leave. Remember our trip? We could go right now to the wood and never look back.”

“You know that neither of us could do that.” He said patiently. A slight stream of tears formed at the corners of the ocean.

“I could if it meant that you would stay with me. How am I supposed to live without you?”

He held my face and stared me dead in the eye. “You will, Aurina. You are stronger than this. I need you to promise me that you will keep your promise to your father and marry Caspian. Don’t spend your days crying over me. Promise me, Aurina.”

I shook my head. “I can’t.”

“Please,” His voice wavered slightly, but he did not cry. The intensity that I had witnessed so many times before had returned. But this time, he was not fighting a battle or waging a war. He was fighting against himself. I wanted to kiss him, but I knew that the villagers were watching us.

Finally, I nodded and reached around my neck. I unclasped the necklace that hung from it and placed in his hand. “Here, this was my father’s ring.” I explained.

“I can’t…”

“Don’t.” I ordered through clenched teeth. “I want you to have this. My father loved my mother than anything else in this world. He always said that this ring represented his never-ending love for her. So you take it. And know that my love for you is never-ending.” He nodded and clutched it in his hand. And so you will not forget me.”

He cupped my face again. “That will never happen.” A stray tear fell down his right cheek. I reached up and wiped it away. Our arms wrapped each other in an embrace once more. “I love you.” Peter whispered into my hair. I could not answer for the tears had taken ahold of my voice. Instead, I nuzzled into him silently telling him that I loved him too.

Before releasing each other, he kissed the top of my head. I wished that I could have kissed him back. Then, I looked over Peter’s shoulder to see Caspian and Susan kissing. I did not think twice. Grabbing his face, I pulled him close to me and shared a desperate, needy kiss.

“I’m sure when I’m older, I’ll understand.” We heard Lucy say.

“I’m not even sure I want to understand it.” Edmund told her.

Peter and I couldn’t help but chuckle. We broke apart, smiling. Peter then wiped tears from my cheek with his thumb, lingering slightly. It was as if he was savoring the feel of my skin. I studied the handsome features of his face until he finally backed away, taking my breath with him. He let go of me and I had already begun to miss him. The four Kings and Queens of Old stood for a moment looking out at the villagers. I stood frozen in sorrow. I felt Caspian approach me, reaching an arm around me to comfort me. But I did not acknowledge him. It was like I couldn’t feel. Then the four turned and walked through the opening in the Tree. Lucy turned back once giving Aslan one last glance, before she followed her siblings.

They were gone.


	20. Epilogue

_The boy watched the tear form in his mother’s eye and roll down her wrinkled cheek. He looked to his father, who stared at the floor. The far-off look in his eye was unmistakable. The boy suddenly felt invisible and helpless. “I’m so sorry.” He said weakly. “You really loved him.”_

_His mother nodded. She closed her eyes slowly. “My memory fades with every passing day. But since he left, I have forced myself to see him. I can still see him now.”_

_The boy sighed. “You want to leave Father, don’t you?”_

_Both of his parents looked at their son in shock and confusion. “What?” His mother asked._

_“That’s why you told me this story.” He replied. “You want to leave Father and go find Peter to be with him.” The young prince did his best to put on a brave face. He, of course, did not want his mother to leave, but knew that if that is what she truly wanted, he wanted to support her._

_The elderly King and Queen looked at each other, having a secret conversation. His mother then leaned forward, holding out her hand to her son. He grabbed his mother’s hand and leaned forward. A breath caught in his throat as he braced himself._

_“I am not leaving your father.” She said softly, rubbing her son’s hand affectionately. Taking in a deep breath, she spoke again. “Your father has already left me.”_

_He looked to the King. “No, not him.” The old woman continued. “I mean, your real father.”_

_Air left the young man’s lungs. He felt the entire world shake underneath him. “What are you talking about?”_

_The woman’s eyes dropped to the ground._

The month after they left moved by slowly. I barely left my bed chambers. I did not eat, sleep, or drink. It was like I had died, but my body had not. The world meant nothing to me. Caspian visited me every day, but I barely spoke to him or even looked at him.

One day, I worked up enough energy to go to the garden. The strange feeling of the rising sun on my skin. A light breeze flew past me. I walked to the balcony, the same place where Peter and I had once stood, happy and in love. Memories of him flooded my mind, that I suddenly became overwhelmed.

I turned to leave, but found that I was not alone in this garden. The breeze was warm and the sun made His mane glow. There before stood the Great Lion, Aslan. After the gathering, He had disappeared, walking into the crowd and vanished into thin air. Now He sat before me, and I felt nothing but anger.

“Hello, Aurina.” He greeted. His voice flowed from His mouth like milk and honey.

My jaw set in defiance. “With all due respect, your Greatness,” I said bitterly, my voice hoarse from lack of talking. “I wish to be alone.”

“What troubles you so, dear one?” He asked, His golden eyes twinkling with concern.

The anger in me exploded. “You know exactly what troubles me.” I seethed. “You took him away from me.” I don’t really know how I knew that He knew of Peter and I’s secret affair, but I did somehow.

“Aurina,” He started. But I could not be stopped.

“Why? Why did he have to go?” I asked rhetorically. “My whole life, I have done nothing but think of others. I did not do, say, or even think of anything selfish. I fought for justice and followed every rule I could. But the one time I want something, someone for myself, you send him away. What did I do to deserve that?”

“Peter was not sent away because of you, dear.” He answered patiently, seemingly unfazed by my harsh words and tone. “He had a family, a life waiting for him. He could not stay here.”

“I was his life.” I retorted. Deep down, I knew that it was pointless to yell at Him, but I could not help myself. My anger had been building for a month. “And he was mine. We were happy together. It was not perfect, but we were happy.”

“You were lying to everyone who loved. How was that happy?”

“We had each other. That was enough for him, and it was certainly enough for me.”

The Great Lion stood and walked over to the balcony. He silently looked down over the village. “I know you are hurting. And I know how much you love him. I am sorry, Aurina.” His voice was soft and sympathetic.

My anger left my body in an instant. “Then why did he have to leave?” I asked weakly. I thought that I had cried all the tears I had left, but a new stream formed on my face.

“You were on different paths.” He replied softly. “You were inheriting a kingdom and he had only given his kingdom over to someone else. Peter had done all he could for Narnia, so it was time for him to do what he could for his own world.”

I sat down on a bench, staring at the ground. “I should have never allowed myself to be so careless.”

“You should not regret your decision, young one.” Aslan said.

“You just told me that I was lying to everyone.” I challenged. “I was being dishonest to everyone, including Caspian. I dishonored my father and what did it leave me? A broken heart.” At this point, I cradled my head in my hands, feeling every once of fight I had in me evaporate.

I heard and felt Aslan come near me, but could not find the strength to lift my head. “You have suffered a loss, and that is never easy to endure. But from tragedy comes opportunity. Opportunity to grow, to learn, to rise from the ashes.” The Lion paused before continuing. “You are destined for great things, Aurina. There are so many adventures and accomplishments ahead of you. Don’t spend your days mourning the past for the future has so much to hold. You are about to encounter an opportunity that will make you stronger. I wish you both all of the happiness.”

Both? I raised my head to look at the Lion, but He was no longer there. I stood and looked around the garden. “Aslan?” I called out, but I knew there was no use. He was gone. His last words circled through my head, but it was still a mystery to me as to what He meant.

Not long after that day, I grew very ill. The royal physician was called to figure out what ailment had befallen me. And that’s when he told me that I was with child.

_“Wait,” the boy’s eyebrows knitted themselves together. “What are you saying?”_

_Aurina looked her son in the eyes. “Initially, I thought that when Aslan said ‘both’, He was referring to Caspian and I. But it was not long before I realized what Aslan had meant. He was referring to me and my child. Caspian and I had not lain together, and were not even married. The only person who could be the father of my child was Peter.”_

_The boy stood abruptly. His mind was racing. “Are you telling me that Father is not my real father?”_

_“We are so sorry to have kept this from you.” Caspian spoke softly._

_“Sorry?” The boy seethed. “You’re sorry? Why are you acting like you had no control over this? You had every opportunity to tell me the truth and you lied. How could you?”_

_“To protect you, Caspian.” Aurina said. “If anyone were to find out that you were the bastard child of High King Peter, our entire family’s reputation would be destroyed.”_

_“But why did you not to tell me? I could have kept a secret. It is better that than keeping it from me. I hardly know who are anymore.” The young prince turned to leave._

_“Stop right there.” Aurina’s elderly voice boomed over the small room. She stood with some struggle, but with a newfound sense of strength. “I may have made some mistakes in my lifetime. I will gladly admit to that. But everything that I have ever done, including hiding the truth about your real father, was because I loved you. I was so overjoyed when you were born. You were my perfect little reminder of my long-lost love. I wanted you to have a father, someone who was there by your side through it all. Caspian graciously agreed and he loves you like you are his own.”_

_“It’s true, son.” The King stood and placed a hand on Caspian XI’s shoulder. “I never would have thought that I would love you as much as I do. But as far as I am concerned, you are my son, whether we share blood or not.”_

_The young prince turned and faced his father. “But I thought that you loved mother.”_

_The King smiled. “I do.”_

_“You don’t hate her for having an affair behind your back and then forcing you to father a child that was not yours?”_

_Caspian X sighed. “When your mother told me that she was with child, she couldn’t stop crying. She kept apologizing to me over and over. And when she finally told me, there was no hate. I could never hate her. I had seen the way she acted around Peter and how he acted around her. They tried to be discreet, but I knew Aurina. She clearly loved him more than anything. So how could I hate her for that? Besides, we both knew that we did not care for each other in such a way. Therefore, I married her soon after and promised to care for the child like he was my own. And it was the best decision that I have ever made.”_

_The young prince regarded both of his parents carefully. “I’m sorry, but this is all too much. Why would you name me after someone who was not my true father? How many more lies have you told me? I thought that we told each other the truth.”_

_“And the truth is that you are Peter’s son, by blood.” Aurina told him. “But our son by love.” She reached out to cup his cheek, but he stepped back._

_“I’m sorry.” He said before turning and leaving the small room. Aurina and Caspian stood there looking at the door as if it would reopen at any moment._

_“Well, that could have been a lot worse.” Caspian finally said._

_“How can you joke about this?” Aurina scolded, slumping back down in her chair. “Our son hates us.”_

_“No, he does not.” He assured his wife. “He is just in shock, that os all.”_

_The woman shook her head. “I was afraid that this would happen.”_

_Caspian walked over to her and placed a loving hand on her shoulder. “Go and talk to him.”_

_“I think I am the last person he wants to see right now.”_

_“Despite everything, you are still his mother. And he needs a mother now more than ever.”_

_Aurina sighed. “I hate it when you are right.”_

_“Wait, did you say I was right?” He leaned closer to her with a smile. “Sorry, I am an old man and hard of hearing. Could you say that again?”_

_Rolling her eyes, Aurina pushed her husband away playfully. “I am armed, you know.” Then, she stood, Caspian steading her as she rose to her feet. She placed a kiss on his cheek. “I love you.” She said tenderly._

_“And I you.” He replied._

_Caspian XI ran through the castle until he found himself in the garden. He almost hated that this was his favorite place to think. Especially since finding out that his real father and mother had fallen in love in this very spot. But there was no other place he wanted to be._

_As a young boy growing up, his mother had taken him to the garden several times. He had learned how to care for and plant various bushes, flowers, and trees. She had taught him the healing powers of some. He recalled specifically when he was playing in the garden and he tripped and fell, scraping his knee. He cried as his mother flew to his side already holding a small vial._

_“Do not cry, my son,” She soothed, grinding the flower up under her foot. “This is the juice of the fireflower. It is supposed to be able to cure any injury with a single drop.” She very carefully placed one drop atop his scraped knee. He watched in awe as the blood slowly disappeared and the scrape in his knee healed._

_“How did you know that would work?” He had asked in awe._

_His mother placed a kiss on his head and said, “A mother always knows how to heal her child.”_

_Caspian scoffed aloud. He knew now that she had learned it from Queen Lucy, and kicked himself for believing her. How could his mother have lied to him all these years? He was just about to be crowned King in a matter of days, and she tells him the truth now. Why?_

_He kicked the side of a tree lightly, letting out his frustration before slouching onto a bench. The sun was starting to set on the horizon, a slight chill hung in the autumn air. But he was too upset to notice._

_His thoughts turned to all the stories he had ever heard about High King Peter. His mother and father, or rather his adoptive father, had told him stories about him and the Kings and Queens of Old. As a child, he loved the stories, and even played pretend that he had lived through them. But now he had contempt for them._

_“You are so much like him, you know.” A voice said bringing him back to the present. He turned and saw his mother walking toward him. She held a staff in her hand as she slowly made her way to the bench her son sat on. Instinctively, he rose to help her sit. “I see him in you. You have the same chin that always juts out when you are angry. Though you have my brown eyes, I see the same fire in yours that were once lit in his. There were times when the light would hit you just right, and it was like he was right there.” She placed a loving hand on her son’s cheek. “You were the one thing I had of him and I thank the stars every day for you.”_

_“Then why didn’t you tell me the truth, Mother?” He asked softly._

_The Queen looked down at the ground. “I wanted to. There were moments when the words were right here at the tip of my tongue.” She gestured toward her mouth. “But… I was afraid.”_

_“Afraid?” He questioned. In his whole life, he had never once seen his mother show fear._

_“I was afraid that I would lose you if you knew the truth.” A tear slipped and dropped onto the grass below. “I was afraid that you would be so angry with me that you would not talk to me or even try to leave and find him.”_

_“Did you ever try to find him? To tell him about me?” Her son asked._

_She looked at her son lovingly. “Yes. I did. But I will save that story for another day.” She grasped her son’s hands tightly. “I just want you to know now how sorry I am. I am so sorry that I lied to you, that you never knew your real father, and that he never knew you.”_

_It was the boy’s turn to drop his gaze. “You don’t hate me, do you?” He asked sheepishly._

_“Hate you?” She repeated in confusion._

_“You said so yourself, that I remind you of him. Don’t you hate me for being the reminder of what you lost?”_

_The old woman grabbed her son’s face and looked him in the eye. “I have never once nor will I ever hate you, Caspian. Do you not understand the moral of my story? You saved me. You taught me how to love again, to smile, to find joy in life. When Peter left, I felt so alone and lost. But then you came along and suddenly my life had a purpose once again. I finally was happy enough to smile and enjoy life for what it was. I could not help but love you, my son. You are the greatest thing ever to have happened to me. Do not doubt that for one minute, do you understand me?”_

_The young boy nodded and embraced his mother. Tears fell from his eyes. “I’m so sorry, mother. I love you, too.” They clung to each other for a while, finding comfort in each other’s embrace. This comfort was always there between them, since his birth. Aurina had always found solace and peace whenever holding her child close to her. And Caspian always felt safe and secure in his mother’s arms. Even though he was no longer a young boy, it was something that he cherished._

_When they finally broke apart, Caspian asked, “So why did you tell me that story now?”_

_The old woman smiled. “Because soon, you will be King. Like your father before you. And whether it is Caspian or Peter, both of your fathers were great rulers, who only thought of their people. I told you this story so that perhaps you may find some inspiration from either of them. So that you can take the throne and know where you came from. I know that if Peter were here, that is what he would want you to do. Your father and I love you very dearly, son. We know that you will be a great king.”_

_The young boy was left alone then, as his mother hobbled away to rest. He stood and looked out over his future, his kingdom. The sun had started to set and long shadows stretched over the land. The village down below thrived with the villagers going about their days, the woods outlining the horizon. It was a world full of life. And potential. A rare warm breeze swept over him and seemed to swirl around him. He closed his eyes, breathing in the active air._

_He opened his eyes, as if to see the world in a new light. He was ready._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for those of you that have made it all the way to the end! I appreciate all your love and kudos that you leave!


End file.
